The Diplomat
The way he looked up at her – it made her want to smile. Just a little. Even despite the decision that he seemed to be making much too lightly. The way he had moved slowly, almost as if to appear non-threatening – what, did he think he could prove even remotely threatening to someone like her?
Laughable – but that too she found charming, in its’ own way.
The way his eyes shone like jewels, contrasted against the muted colors of his clothing was fascinating. And the way he clearly wanted to keep in close proximity to her – that was heartwarming in a way that Royanna Kallenger would be helpless to try and describe. She had looked him in the eye, his presence alone making it, for her, practically impossible to avoid. He did not seem confident, but he did seem optimistic.
It felt like cruelty to consider knocking that optimism down with what, to her, seemed like the truth of the situation. But then too, she had given him the choice. So, that’s what they would do. If she tried to argue the point one way or the other, what was the point of asking in the first place?
Nobody had ever wanted to be close to Special Agent Royanna S. Kallenger. Nobody even liked being around her – and she had done that intentionally – right? All her life she had been abrasive and unpleasant. She had been a flat-out bitch to almost every individual she had ever met. Her men had respected her at least – before she killed them all – but they never liked[ her. They never wanted to be near her – and she never wanted to be near anyone else. That sort of interaction was useless and awkward. It was revolting.
But something had changed – and now, the simple fact that he was obviously comforted by being near to her was overwhelmingly satisfying. All the perks and privileges of achieving Special Agent status – of becoming one of the most important people in the entire, glorious Empire – none of it had made her felt even fractionally as important as this did. A different kind of important, either – not the usual pompous feeling of superiority she usually harbored – but the sensation of actually mattering to someone.
Somebody liked to be around her. Liked to be close to her. And while she had no real idea what to do with this information, it was like some coveted secret that only she knew.
But the way his ears were back – was he regretful of this? Granted, her limited resume of emotional output all but forbade her from actually telling him how much it meant – but still! He should intuitively know, right? Wasn’t that how these things worked? It was all too confusing.
Her eyes had broken away from his, forcibly relocating to a different spot on the floor – the only spot where she could avoid his gaze. It was an insurmountable task to consider any method of making him understand – and she certainly couldn’t make any kind of physical contact while also making eye contact – that would be just plain weird on her part. So, without looking directly at him, it felt like she could pretend it was someone else doing it, and she lifted one arm to let it drape loosely over his shoulders. The hand, hanging partly limp about the base of his neck, hesitated for long seconds – before eventually taking to a presumably absent-minded, unconscious stroking of the thumb about the curls of hair ‘round his neck. It was nothing like how one might pet a dog – but that only made it weirder.
As long as she didn’t acknowledge that she was doing this – as long as both of them just pretended it wasn’t happening – that was okay, right?
Right?
She had to do this. It seemed like the only way to explain that the visions she was having of their potential future were tearing her apart and wracking her mind with torment. At least if they had decided to keep running, he would be at least relatively safe. But this way? This path they were taking seemed like a one-way ticket to tragedy. For the first time in her life, Royanna didn’t trust her Imperial ‘comrades’. For the first time, she looked at Capitol City with animosity and loathing, in apprehension of the possibilities.
The two of them, just looking away, now. But sitting there. Sitting there together. It was good.
Roy took a deep breath, blew it out slowly, measured. The hand not draped over her friend’s shoulders ran through her own hair once, forehead and back, then flopped back into her lap.
”Alright kid.” She said after still longer moments. ”I’ll…get us turned around. In a minute.” Then she hesitated, chewing on her bottom lip – and added, with some haste ”Tomorrow. We’ll…head back tomorrow.”
So, was she procrastinating, now?
Part of her wondered if that was the case – and the rest of her hated herself for the possibility.
When she spoke next, there was a slightly different inflection to it – a sort of detachment from that anxiety – the exact kind of tone that came over someone who had just put off something very bad for a while, and had resolved not to think about it for a little longer.
”I…really want some real @#$%ing food.” She said – and there was almost a hint of dry humor in the words – if only because of how relatively lighter the topic was in comparison to talk of turning themselves in to a great and dangerous Empire. ”I wonder if they actually…” She muttered thoughtfully to herself, letting the words drift off. Without leaning forward – allowing her to stay positioned with her arm comfortably around Christofer’s shoulders – she reached into her pocket and produced the metallic blue parallelogram shaped badge in the image of the upper half of the Galactic Empire insignia. One of the highest status symbols in the Empire – access to virtually unlimited federal funding with no questions asked.
And, if she recalled correctly, they were designed to be untraceable, even by the Empire itself – a means of the utmost security in maintaining an Agent’s anonymity. It was priceless. It was powerful. And she was wondering whether it would get them something to eat.
To her right was a portion of the control panel that wrapped around the chair, providing a number of buttons and screens that could be used to navigate the main monitors and control many of the basic functions without having to lean forward. Great for making minor course adjustments while reclining on a long trip. Almost thoughtlessly, she placed the badge atop the panel, on a little black patch of material intended to analyze small objects such as keycards and data-drives. There was a soft beep, and a string of nonsensical code appeared on the big screen at the front of the pilots’ chamber, just above the window. It was followed by several other lines of code.
Frowning, Royanna read over the code several times – the look on her face clearly said ’I have no idea what any of that means’ – before shrugging slightly and returning the badge to her pocket. ”Come to think of it, I don’t think they can cut these things off. Pretty sure they have to actually destroy them…” She was already tapping at the controls again as she mused quietly, still not moving her arm from the canid’s shoulders. The position was delightfully comfortable, after all…
On the main screen, an image of black with innumerable white pinpricks in a vaguely swirled shape appeared. ”You know how to read a starmap, kid?” She asked conversationally, before she had the chance to realize how incredibly stupid a question that was. She tried to glaze over it and continue, with the same casual tone.
It felt good to be talking about something else.
They had decided on their course of action – that was enough for now.
”It’s actually pretty simple. The Galaxy’s mostly two-dimensional – most of the stars are on a pretty level plane, I mean. So this is like a ‘top-down’ view.” It didn’t really matter if he was paying attention or not. It just felt good to be yakking on regardless. On the screen, a little green square appeared, magnifying the image to that area. It was repeated several times – and before long, there were only several dozen white specks amidst the sea of black. A green dot appeared, blinking softly. ”That’s us.” She said, pointing vaguely toward the dot with her free hand. Tapping a button, one of the white specks bloomed into a small circle, and an informational panel expanded from it. It read “SIGNUM”, followed by “ARDELLA”, “ARDELLUNA”, and “SPEI”.
”That’s where we just came from. The Signum system. Those are the three inhabited planets there. From where we are now, it’s about seventeen hours ‘Alpha-southwest’ at standard ‘1-G’ speed... We could probably get the old boat up to five or six before we'd start feeling the inertia."
She couldn’t remember the last time she referred to a starship as a ‘boat’. That was the sort of casually uneducated terminology that commoners used. Even when trying to condescend herself to the level of those she was forced to deal with in the course of her job, she never talked like that.
It felt strangely liberating.
The fact that talking about starship speeds versus inertia would go right over Toffi's head went right over her own.
With another two taps, the informational panel disappeared, and several yellow specks blinked into existence. One was comparatively very close to the green dot. ”Those are stations. They stay in the same relative position to the stars around them.” Tap. A yellow box appeared adjacent to the yellow dot nearest the green one. It was headed as “TORA STATION”, followed by “Interstellar”. ”That means it doesn’t orbit a star.Roy said. ”Don’t think I’ve been there before. Could probably get some actual food there though. It’s only a few hours away.” For the first time since she’d started, Roy looked back to Toffi – expression mostly blank, but in an almost apathetically contented way.
”Whaddya’ say, kid?”
Asking him to make another decision?
Madness.
But, after making him choose whether or not to be fugitives for life, the decision of whether or not to go find something to eat would probably be a little easier to make.
The Koolest Boat U Know
They were all very serious.
Kovacs bade his farewell to Jackson, and went about dragging the spider-woman off with him. In tense sobriety, the rest followed around the corner – seeing through to the end that he went through the umbilical without doing anything stupid. The Commander had made good time – he had barely crossed the threshold before the White Death’s doors were hissing shut. The Koolest Boat’s followed seconds after.
Nobody had said anything the whole time. Were they sociopaths? Clearly insane – but to what extent?
Rin was tugging at Tsuan’s sleeve, but he gave the Nyran only a half-second glance in which nothing could be translated…Nothing except the fact that he was clearly holding his breath.
Had T’yzfir been this mad all along? Did the rest of the Krew know about it already, or were they all just learning of this insanity now?
Seconds after the inner seal shut, a slight shift in gravity and momentum could be felt as though a plane were yawing to a hard right – nothing to make anyone stumble, but enough to feel that the Koolest Boat was making a very hasty exit.
T’yzfir looked as though he were holding a piece of hard candy on his tongue. Then, he looked like he was biting his cheek. Tsuan was still holding his breath. Sands was out of sight, standing behind the rest of them – but it seemed likely that he too was holding his breath.
And after several more tense seconds, Ty was looking as if he was trying with all his might to keep from bursting into laughter.
When it broke, it was all of them.
Tsuan, Ty and Sands all burst into a fit of belly-hugging, knee-slapping laughter. Tsuan had both of Rin’s shoulders, shaking him slightly as if in an effort to keep himself from falling over. Sands was leaning into a wall, looking as if he had gotten hit in the gut with a hilarious baseball bat.
”Hooo-ley @#$%!” He said, with effort. ”Ty you’re nuts!”
”I…I can’t believe that worked!” Ty managed to squeeze out amidst the fit of hysteria. ”Dal how did you DO that!”
”@#$% I dunno! I didn’t know I could talk like that! @#$%’s @#$%’in awesome!”
Tsuan, still practically clinging to Rin’s shoulders, almost draped over him in a half-hug from behind as if Rin were keeping him propped up - decided to explain to the likely baffled two – though it was a great effort to talk through the continuous giggles. ”This…this ship doesn’t have a self-destruct feature.” He said, wiping tears from his eyes, and sounding out of breath. ”That was…what was just a radiation dump! Totally standard! And I dunno’ how Dal made herself sound like a computer but that was so cool~!”
Ty was leaning back against a wall now, face in his palms. He too had to wipe laughter-tears from his eyes before addressing Jackson, also with that same out-of-breath tone that came with coming down from hysterical laughter. The sort of mild sobriety that implied he meant what he was saying, even while trying to come down from the giggles. ”That guy was nuts, wasn’t he, Mr. Jackson?” He asked, running a hand over his bald head as if he had a full head of hair. He took a deep breath, and managed to continue in a more reasonably serious tone.
”Sorry to scare you two like that.” He said, earnestly. ”It’s just…we don’t like to take chances, y’know? Especially when some guy in crazy battle-armor with a gigantic warship starts saying things like ’now allowing us to leave’. I didn’t want that guy getting anywhere near the bridge. I mean, even if he did just want to go through the ship’s files for the screw schematics, he’d still be going through the ship’s files.”
“And the only time you go through a ship’s files is if you’re interested in that ship, y’know?” Sands added. Tsuan was next. ”It was…pretty obvious from the start that there was somethin’ weird about him.” He said, looking toward Jet. ”With how eager you were to get off that ship it was pretty clear that we wouldn’t want him around either.”
Then, Dal, over the speakers. ”And it ain’t like if Ty said ‘No’ a guy with that much firepower would jus’ say ‘OK’. So we got ‘im off the fastest, safest way possible. Made ‘im want to go.”
”I really hope we don’t run into that guy again.” Sands added, ”If he realizes we tricked him…I get the feelin’ he’ll be kinda @#$%ed.”
The way he looked up at her – it made her want to smile. Just a little. Even despite the decision that he seemed to be making much too lightly. The way he had moved slowly, almost as if to appear non-threatening – what, did he think he could prove even remotely threatening to someone like her?
Laughable – but that too she found charming, in its’ own way.
The way his eyes shone like jewels, contrasted against the muted colors of his clothing was fascinating. And the way he clearly wanted to keep in close proximity to her – that was heartwarming in a way that Royanna Kallenger would be helpless to try and describe. She had looked him in the eye, his presence alone making it, for her, practically impossible to avoid. He did not seem confident, but he did seem optimistic.
It felt like cruelty to consider knocking that optimism down with what, to her, seemed like the truth of the situation. But then too, she had given him the choice. So, that’s what they would do. If she tried to argue the point one way or the other, what was the point of asking in the first place?
Nobody had ever wanted to be close to Special Agent Royanna S. Kallenger. Nobody even liked being around her – and she had done that intentionally – right? All her life she had been abrasive and unpleasant. She had been a flat-out bitch to almost every individual she had ever met. Her men had respected her at least – before she killed them all – but they never liked[ her. They never wanted to be near her – and she never wanted to be near anyone else. That sort of interaction was useless and awkward. It was revolting.
But something had changed – and now, the simple fact that he was obviously comforted by being near to her was overwhelmingly satisfying. All the perks and privileges of achieving Special Agent status – of becoming one of the most important people in the entire, glorious Empire – none of it had made her felt even fractionally as important as this did. A different kind of important, either – not the usual pompous feeling of superiority she usually harbored – but the sensation of actually mattering to someone.
Somebody liked to be around her. Liked to be close to her. And while she had no real idea what to do with this information, it was like some coveted secret that only she knew.
But the way his ears were back – was he regretful of this? Granted, her limited resume of emotional output all but forbade her from actually telling him how much it meant – but still! He should intuitively know, right? Wasn’t that how these things worked? It was all too confusing.
Her eyes had broken away from his, forcibly relocating to a different spot on the floor – the only spot where she could avoid his gaze. It was an insurmountable task to consider any method of making him understand – and she certainly couldn’t make any kind of physical contact while also making eye contact – that would be just plain weird on her part. So, without looking directly at him, it felt like she could pretend it was someone else doing it, and she lifted one arm to let it drape loosely over his shoulders. The hand, hanging partly limp about the base of his neck, hesitated for long seconds – before eventually taking to a presumably absent-minded, unconscious stroking of the thumb about the curls of hair ‘round his neck. It was nothing like how one might pet a dog – but that only made it weirder.
As long as she didn’t acknowledge that she was doing this – as long as both of them just pretended it wasn’t happening – that was okay, right?
Right?
She had to do this. It seemed like the only way to explain that the visions she was having of their potential future were tearing her apart and wracking her mind with torment. At least if they had decided to keep running, he would be at least relatively safe. But this way? This path they were taking seemed like a one-way ticket to tragedy. For the first time in her life, Royanna didn’t trust her Imperial ‘comrades’. For the first time, she looked at Capitol City with animosity and loathing, in apprehension of the possibilities.
The two of them, just looking away, now. But sitting there. Sitting there together. It was good.
Roy took a deep breath, blew it out slowly, measured. The hand not draped over her friend’s shoulders ran through her own hair once, forehead and back, then flopped back into her lap.
”Alright kid.” She said after still longer moments. ”I’ll…get us turned around. In a minute.” Then she hesitated, chewing on her bottom lip – and added, with some haste ”Tomorrow. We’ll…head back tomorrow.”
So, was she procrastinating, now?
Part of her wondered if that was the case – and the rest of her hated herself for the possibility.
When she spoke next, there was a slightly different inflection to it – a sort of detachment from that anxiety – the exact kind of tone that came over someone who had just put off something very bad for a while, and had resolved not to think about it for a little longer.
”I…really want some real @#$%ing food.” She said – and there was almost a hint of dry humor in the words – if only because of how relatively lighter the topic was in comparison to talk of turning themselves in to a great and dangerous Empire. ”I wonder if they actually…” She muttered thoughtfully to herself, letting the words drift off. Without leaning forward – allowing her to stay positioned with her arm comfortably around Christofer’s shoulders – she reached into her pocket and produced the metallic blue parallelogram shaped badge in the image of the upper half of the Galactic Empire insignia. One of the highest status symbols in the Empire – access to virtually unlimited federal funding with no questions asked.
And, if she recalled correctly, they were designed to be untraceable, even by the Empire itself – a means of the utmost security in maintaining an Agent’s anonymity. It was priceless. It was powerful. And she was wondering whether it would get them something to eat.
To her right was a portion of the control panel that wrapped around the chair, providing a number of buttons and screens that could be used to navigate the main monitors and control many of the basic functions without having to lean forward. Great for making minor course adjustments while reclining on a long trip. Almost thoughtlessly, she placed the badge atop the panel, on a little black patch of material intended to analyze small objects such as keycards and data-drives. There was a soft beep, and a string of nonsensical code appeared on the big screen at the front of the pilots’ chamber, just above the window. It was followed by several other lines of code.
Frowning, Royanna read over the code several times – the look on her face clearly said ’I have no idea what any of that means’ – before shrugging slightly and returning the badge to her pocket. ”Come to think of it, I don’t think they can cut these things off. Pretty sure they have to actually destroy them…” She was already tapping at the controls again as she mused quietly, still not moving her arm from the canid’s shoulders. The position was delightfully comfortable, after all…
On the main screen, an image of black with innumerable white pinpricks in a vaguely swirled shape appeared. ”You know how to read a starmap, kid?” She asked conversationally, before she had the chance to realize how incredibly stupid a question that was. She tried to glaze over it and continue, with the same casual tone.
It felt good to be talking about something else.
They had decided on their course of action – that was enough for now.
”It’s actually pretty simple. The Galaxy’s mostly two-dimensional – most of the stars are on a pretty level plane, I mean. So this is like a ‘top-down’ view.” It didn’t really matter if he was paying attention or not. It just felt good to be yakking on regardless. On the screen, a little green square appeared, magnifying the image to that area. It was repeated several times – and before long, there were only several dozen white specks amidst the sea of black. A green dot appeared, blinking softly. ”That’s us.” She said, pointing vaguely toward the dot with her free hand. Tapping a button, one of the white specks bloomed into a small circle, and an informational panel expanded from it. It read “SIGNUM”, followed by “ARDELLA”, “ARDELLUNA”, and “SPEI”.
”That’s where we just came from. The Signum system. Those are the three inhabited planets there. From where we are now, it’s about seventeen hours ‘Alpha-southwest’ at standard ‘1-G’ speed... We could probably get the old boat up to five or six before we'd start feeling the inertia."
She couldn’t remember the last time she referred to a starship as a ‘boat’. That was the sort of casually uneducated terminology that commoners used. Even when trying to condescend herself to the level of those she was forced to deal with in the course of her job, she never talked like that.
It felt strangely liberating.
The fact that talking about starship speeds versus inertia would go right over Toffi's head went right over her own.
With another two taps, the informational panel disappeared, and several yellow specks blinked into existence. One was comparatively very close to the green dot. ”Those are stations. They stay in the same relative position to the stars around them.” Tap. A yellow box appeared adjacent to the yellow dot nearest the green one. It was headed as “TORA STATION”, followed by “Interstellar”. ”That means it doesn’t orbit a star.Roy said. ”Don’t think I’ve been there before. Could probably get some actual food there though. It’s only a few hours away.” For the first time since she’d started, Roy looked back to Toffi – expression mostly blank, but in an almost apathetically contented way.
”Whaddya’ say, kid?”
Asking him to make another decision?
Madness.
But, after making him choose whether or not to be fugitives for life, the decision of whether or not to go find something to eat would probably be a little easier to make.
The Koolest Boat U Know
They were all very serious.
Kovacs bade his farewell to Jackson, and went about dragging the spider-woman off with him. In tense sobriety, the rest followed around the corner – seeing through to the end that he went through the umbilical without doing anything stupid. The Commander had made good time – he had barely crossed the threshold before the White Death’s doors were hissing shut. The Koolest Boat’s followed seconds after.
Nobody had said anything the whole time. Were they sociopaths? Clearly insane – but to what extent?
Rin was tugging at Tsuan’s sleeve, but he gave the Nyran only a half-second glance in which nothing could be translated…Nothing except the fact that he was clearly holding his breath.
Had T’yzfir been this mad all along? Did the rest of the Krew know about it already, or were they all just learning of this insanity now?
Seconds after the inner seal shut, a slight shift in gravity and momentum could be felt as though a plane were yawing to a hard right – nothing to make anyone stumble, but enough to feel that the Koolest Boat was making a very hasty exit.
T’yzfir looked as though he were holding a piece of hard candy on his tongue. Then, he looked like he was biting his cheek. Tsuan was still holding his breath. Sands was out of sight, standing behind the rest of them – but it seemed likely that he too was holding his breath.
And after several more tense seconds, Ty was looking as if he was trying with all his might to keep from bursting into laughter.
When it broke, it was all of them.
Tsuan, Ty and Sands all burst into a fit of belly-hugging, knee-slapping laughter. Tsuan had both of Rin’s shoulders, shaking him slightly as if in an effort to keep himself from falling over. Sands was leaning into a wall, looking as if he had gotten hit in the gut with a hilarious baseball bat.
”Hooo-ley @#$%!” He said, with effort. ”Ty you’re nuts!”
”I…I can’t believe that worked!” Ty managed to squeeze out amidst the fit of hysteria. ”Dal how did you DO that!”
”@#$% I dunno! I didn’t know I could talk like that! @#$%’s @#$%’in awesome!”
Tsuan, still practically clinging to Rin’s shoulders, almost draped over him in a half-hug from behind as if Rin were keeping him propped up - decided to explain to the likely baffled two – though it was a great effort to talk through the continuous giggles. ”This…this ship doesn’t have a self-destruct feature.” He said, wiping tears from his eyes, and sounding out of breath. ”That was…what was just a radiation dump! Totally standard! And I dunno’ how Dal made herself sound like a computer but that was so cool~!”
Ty was leaning back against a wall now, face in his palms. He too had to wipe laughter-tears from his eyes before addressing Jackson, also with that same out-of-breath tone that came with coming down from hysterical laughter. The sort of mild sobriety that implied he meant what he was saying, even while trying to come down from the giggles. ”That guy was nuts, wasn’t he, Mr. Jackson?” He asked, running a hand over his bald head as if he had a full head of hair. He took a deep breath, and managed to continue in a more reasonably serious tone.
”Sorry to scare you two like that.” He said, earnestly. ”It’s just…we don’t like to take chances, y’know? Especially when some guy in crazy battle-armor with a gigantic warship starts saying things like ’now allowing us to leave’. I didn’t want that guy getting anywhere near the bridge. I mean, even if he did just want to go through the ship’s files for the screw schematics, he’d still be going through the ship’s files.”
“And the only time you go through a ship’s files is if you’re interested in that ship, y’know?” Sands added. Tsuan was next. ”It was…pretty obvious from the start that there was somethin’ weird about him.” He said, looking toward Jet. ”With how eager you were to get off that ship it was pretty clear that we wouldn’t want him around either.”
Then, Dal, over the speakers. ”And it ain’t like if Ty said ‘No’ a guy with that much firepower would jus’ say ‘OK’. So we got ‘im off the fastest, safest way possible. Made ‘im want to go.”
”I really hope we don’t run into that guy again.” Sands added, ”If he realizes we tricked him…I get the feelin’ he’ll be kinda @#$%ed.”
THE KINGSBANE
At first, the Girl would only see Severin's wrinkled expression slowly twisting into confusion, and maybe curiosity, at the gesture. Time enough to deduce that, once again, she did not met the strange customs and standards of this very weird people. There was enough time to cower into another desk and maybe use her hidden abilities to phase her form inside one of the many forgotten rooms into this place. But, just as she was about to think about the old man's expression, right before she attempted to gesture her arm to the opposite side... The old man laughed.
It was neither wicked cackling nor insane chuckles. Among frequent coughing, loud and coarse but still hearty laughter echoed through the research department. Severin expected his fingers to be pulled, broken apart or even bit by the strange youth but, somehow, he found out the Girl's dumbfounded reaction to be peculiarly... Hilarious.
Severin hadn't laughed like this in quite some time. His men knew it.
Generally, that was a good signal. The research staff would slowly return to their jobs or favorite slacking chairs, working and chatting on different subjects. The Research Department into action. Most of the scientists and assistants were ready to execute whatever plans Severin had for them. Of course, that would happen under every situation. A Cutlass wielding madman who commanded the very ship on which Severin's men worked - and lived - was not an uncommon sight around its countless compartments and corridors. At the present moment, however, things were a bit too dark and the wholesome atmosphere was somehow strange with Wanheed frozen like he was.
Still giving off occasional snorts, Severin shook his head in curious disbelief for the Girl's reaction. It was until the old man stood up that he noticed that Wan Nabes was still there, desperately trying to come up with an explanation for the return of his vanquished 'enemy'.
— You owe my men some extra rations for two weeks. — That was enough to make Wan Nabes' blood boil and thaw the ice that kept he stood in place.
— 'YO '<**********> 'SONNUVA <*****> <****> 'SUCKA. '<****> 'GONNA <****> 'YA <****> TO HELL 'N BACK. - The eardrums of the lab crew trembled with the barbaric screams. Wanheed made the very floor shudder with his thundering steps towards Severin, hand tightly wrapped around the grip of his Cutlass. But the Old Astrophysicist didn't do as little as move a single muscle cell of his frail frame. If the charging Wan Nabes was going to do anything against that innocent creature, he had to do it with his friend, Benedict Severin as well.
Nobody dared to defy The Astrophysicist.
— One Month, No Innocents. You remember it with complete certainty.
She would feel either terror or be curious. She could even see Severin as a foolish old man or a fearless daredevil. It did not matter which it was but, the Girl could just watch the duo of ancient men trading death stares. Wanheed's dark, raging oceans versus Severin's pitch black void flickering out-worldly symbols. Wan Nabes salivated like a furious beast with his teeth tightly gritted, but, opposite to him, Severin's expression was blank and unreadable, almost as if he had forgot how to feel emotions.
— Kill even one and my men get extra rations for two weeks.
But, if there was something that made the Kingsbane's Captain even more irate was ration management. The Kingsbane usually would have decent rations for about two months of four, however, its journeys lasted more than the double of that amount. Running out usually meant landing on an unknown world, or a big colony like the Stella Viventium, just so they could try to buy that much food for more than 3,500 men.
If there was a list of the most horrifying sights on the entire universe, it was Wanheed Nabil Mustafa's face when pressured about food for his hungry crew. And The Mysterious Girl from Notspace had the misfortune to lay eyes on the inhumanly twisted expression, distorted by diabolical fury that the Captain was bearing.
Severin was just doing as planned.
— Or... You do this youth no more harm and we keep her.
"'Jus 'tis time... 'Jus one 'moar '<*******> time..."
Wanheed's temper tantrum slowly faded away as Severin's counter proposal was heard through all the lab. This was no naive counselling officer the Captain was speaking with. Even though he hated to admit it, the old man always - always - ended up winning, in the very end. But something about this Girl was off... She was sliced in half and disappeared before the Bridge's very eyes, and now? There she is. Alive and in one piece, cowering behind the more than friendly Astrophysicist. And to complicate matter, didn't bring The Hat back.
Tilting his head up with a daring, but irritated frown, the Captain's stormy blue eyes scanned the Girl's every corner. Running through her curves, oddly covered by common apparel, following to pierce her clear-white irises with a glare. His unforgiving wrist started to lose grip then Cutlass. Severin merely let out a grunt, standing tightly beside his young friend.
— ... Kingsbane.
”K-Kingsbane…??”
It was like time had re-winded to that fateful moment. Perhaps, She could not know what this feeling was, but an intense sense of Déjà vu befell her being. Almost as if the horrific memories were rewritten, replaced with much milder ones. The demonic man with a hat uttering a popular word among the place she found herself. The old scientist with a strange curiosity for her being. And all sorts of people watching the scene with anticipation. However, what struck her this time was not a wicked blade, but A Hat.
Captain Wanheed Nabil Mustafa clenched his fist on the new hat he now was wearing, throwing it as hard as he could at the chest of the, very probably, frightened being.
— 'Iv 'dats 'wat 'dis <*****> want, 'den she'll 'av it. — Letting out a grunt, now with the same wicked smile as moments before, the Captain turned his back, moving towards the exit door. — ... Now, 'iv she came back, I '<*******> sure she can bring back 'ma old, real hat. Work 'onnit, egghead.
Then her slayer was gone. Disappeared into the dark halls beyond the research laboratory, where she met the old man for the first time. The mysterious turns of events that took place in the Kingsbane would be met with utmost confusion or awe for most of its inhabitants. Severin, on the other hand, felt a wide smile forming on his worn out face. Reaching for a pocket on his leather jacket, the old man pullet out a small block composed of countless sheets of a thin, clear white material.
— Notebook. — Along with it, the scientist pulled out a thin, cylindrical object that could fit on the palm of one's hands. A clear tube, apparently made of the equivalent of glass to Her People, with a even thinner blue tube inside. — Pen. — The scientist made sure to carefuly present it to the girl, capturing all of her reactions with the built-in camera unto her goggles.
Only then Severin would remember that Wanheed now needed to go back and retrieve the Mad Ranger and two mercenaries sent to rescue him. Not to mention that they still had to make contact with Illiya, the curious being terribly scalated to a mission of ultimately killing Maria "Lock-On" Lockheart, daughter of the infamous Lord of Technology, Kampfer. However, this mysterious notspace girl, this creature, could potentially lead to a clue, or be the clue itself, for their journey to find Earth. Or maybe even be of use to the plans that Severin himself had in mind. With all of this, Captain Aelyn-Paeryc Petrovalyc had once again disappeared to an untraceable coordinate through means Severin could only speculate about. Fortunately, or not, the Prototype Artificial Intelligence, Indra, had mysteriously acquired self-conscience of its actions, and could potentially accelerate the Kingsbane's progress on its quest... Or bring to a painful and permanent halt.
Still...
Would the joined forces of Wanheed Nabil Mustafa, Aelyn-Paeryc Petrovalyc, his crew and the Dimensional Lords would be able to fight against The Enemy they could barely imagine the power of?
... Would they able to fight - or even defend themselves - from The Enemy that spanned its domain over countless clusters of the entire universe?
The Star-Class Astrophysicist, Benedict Severin, was only sure that there would be much to be done.
At first, the Girl would only see Severin's wrinkled expression slowly twisting into confusion, and maybe curiosity, at the gesture. Time enough to deduce that, once again, she did not met the strange customs and standards of this very weird people. There was enough time to cower into another desk and maybe use her hidden abilities to phase her form inside one of the many forgotten rooms into this place. But, just as she was about to think about the old man's expression, right before she attempted to gesture her arm to the opposite side... The old man laughed.
It was neither wicked cackling nor insane chuckles. Among frequent coughing, loud and coarse but still hearty laughter echoed through the research department. Severin expected his fingers to be pulled, broken apart or even bit by the strange youth but, somehow, he found out the Girl's dumbfounded reaction to be peculiarly... Hilarious.
Severin hadn't laughed like this in quite some time. His men knew it.
Generally, that was a good signal. The research staff would slowly return to their jobs or favorite slacking chairs, working and chatting on different subjects. The Research Department into action. Most of the scientists and assistants were ready to execute whatever plans Severin had for them. Of course, that would happen under every situation. A Cutlass wielding madman who commanded the very ship on which Severin's men worked - and lived - was not an uncommon sight around its countless compartments and corridors. At the present moment, however, things were a bit too dark and the wholesome atmosphere was somehow strange with Wanheed frozen like he was.
Still giving off occasional snorts, Severin shook his head in curious disbelief for the Girl's reaction. It was until the old man stood up that he noticed that Wan Nabes was still there, desperately trying to come up with an explanation for the return of his vanquished 'enemy'.
— You owe my men some extra rations for two weeks. — That was enough to make Wan Nabes' blood boil and thaw the ice that kept he stood in place.
— 'YO '<**********> 'SONNUVA <*****> <****> 'SUCKA. '<****> 'GONNA <****> 'YA <****> TO HELL 'N BACK. - The eardrums of the lab crew trembled with the barbaric screams. Wanheed made the very floor shudder with his thundering steps towards Severin, hand tightly wrapped around the grip of his Cutlass. But the Old Astrophysicist didn't do as little as move a single muscle cell of his frail frame. If the charging Wan Nabes was going to do anything against that innocent creature, he had to do it with his friend, Benedict Severin as well.
Nobody dared to defy The Astrophysicist.
— One Month, No Innocents. You remember it with complete certainty.
She would feel either terror or be curious. She could even see Severin as a foolish old man or a fearless daredevil. It did not matter which it was but, the Girl could just watch the duo of ancient men trading death stares. Wanheed's dark, raging oceans versus Severin's pitch black void flickering out-worldly symbols. Wan Nabes salivated like a furious beast with his teeth tightly gritted, but, opposite to him, Severin's expression was blank and unreadable, almost as if he had forgot how to feel emotions.
— Kill even one and my men get extra rations for two weeks.
But, if there was something that made the Kingsbane's Captain even more irate was ration management. The Kingsbane usually would have decent rations for about two months of four, however, its journeys lasted more than the double of that amount. Running out usually meant landing on an unknown world, or a big colony like the Stella Viventium, just so they could try to buy that much food for more than 3,500 men.
If there was a list of the most horrifying sights on the entire universe, it was Wanheed Nabil Mustafa's face when pressured about food for his hungry crew. And The Mysterious Girl from Notspace had the misfortune to lay eyes on the inhumanly twisted expression, distorted by diabolical fury that the Captain was bearing.
Severin was just doing as planned.
— Or... You do this youth no more harm and we keep her.
"'Jus 'tis time... 'Jus one 'moar '<*******> time..."
Wanheed's temper tantrum slowly faded away as Severin's counter proposal was heard through all the lab. This was no naive counselling officer the Captain was speaking with. Even though he hated to admit it, the old man always - always - ended up winning, in the very end. But something about this Girl was off... She was sliced in half and disappeared before the Bridge's very eyes, and now? There she is. Alive and in one piece, cowering behind the more than friendly Astrophysicist. And to complicate matter, didn't bring The Hat back.
Tilting his head up with a daring, but irritated frown, the Captain's stormy blue eyes scanned the Girl's every corner. Running through her curves, oddly covered by common apparel, following to pierce her clear-white irises with a glare. His unforgiving wrist started to lose grip then Cutlass. Severin merely let out a grunt, standing tightly beside his young friend.
— ... Kingsbane.
”K-Kingsbane…??”
It was like time had re-winded to that fateful moment. Perhaps, She could not know what this feeling was, but an intense sense of Déjà vu befell her being. Almost as if the horrific memories were rewritten, replaced with much milder ones. The demonic man with a hat uttering a popular word among the place she found herself. The old scientist with a strange curiosity for her being. And all sorts of people watching the scene with anticipation. However, what struck her this time was not a wicked blade, but A Hat.
Captain Wanheed Nabil Mustafa clenched his fist on the new hat he now was wearing, throwing it as hard as he could at the chest of the, very probably, frightened being.
— 'Iv 'dats 'wat 'dis <*****> want, 'den she'll 'av it. — Letting out a grunt, now with the same wicked smile as moments before, the Captain turned his back, moving towards the exit door. — ... Now, 'iv she came back, I '<*******> sure she can bring back 'ma old, real hat. Work 'onnit, egghead.
Then her slayer was gone. Disappeared into the dark halls beyond the research laboratory, where she met the old man for the first time. The mysterious turns of events that took place in the Kingsbane would be met with utmost confusion or awe for most of its inhabitants. Severin, on the other hand, felt a wide smile forming on his worn out face. Reaching for a pocket on his leather jacket, the old man pullet out a small block composed of countless sheets of a thin, clear white material.
— Notebook. — Along with it, the scientist pulled out a thin, cylindrical object that could fit on the palm of one's hands. A clear tube, apparently made of the equivalent of glass to Her People, with a even thinner blue tube inside. — Pen. — The scientist made sure to carefuly present it to the girl, capturing all of her reactions with the built-in camera unto her goggles.
Only then Severin would remember that Wanheed now needed to go back and retrieve the Mad Ranger and two mercenaries sent to rescue him. Not to mention that they still had to make contact with Illiya, the curious being terribly scalated to a mission of ultimately killing Maria "Lock-On" Lockheart, daughter of the infamous Lord of Technology, Kampfer. However, this mysterious notspace girl, this creature, could potentially lead to a clue, or be the clue itself, for their journey to find Earth. Or maybe even be of use to the plans that Severin himself had in mind. With all of this, Captain Aelyn-Paeryc Petrovalyc had once again disappeared to an untraceable coordinate through means Severin could only speculate about. Fortunately, or not, the Prototype Artificial Intelligence, Indra, had mysteriously acquired self-conscience of its actions, and could potentially accelerate the Kingsbane's progress on its quest... Or bring to a painful and permanent halt.
Still...
Would the joined forces of Wanheed Nabil Mustafa, Aelyn-Paeryc Petrovalyc, his crew and the Dimensional Lords would be able to fight against The Enemy they could barely imagine the power of?
... Would they able to fight - or even defend themselves - from The Enemy that spanned its domain over countless clusters of the entire universe?
The Star-Class Astrophysicist, Benedict Severin, was only sure that there would be much to be done.
No one paid Beacon much mind, which made it much easier to observe how things fell out. Wick knew what this exchange would result in. Either the security team would take Nirix as well, or they wouldn’t and she’d give them a reason to. Whatever happened, Wick would have to get them out.
Standing up, Wick fell back down onto tired legs. Using his powers had taken its toll, but he wasn’t really planning on letting it stop him.
“Wick, where are you going?” Alice asked, putting down her work with the gun pieces.
“They’re being arrested. I’ve got to go help them.”
“What? No, you aren’t going anywhere. You aren’t looking too good right now.”
“I’ve GOT to go, Alice.”
Alice stood in front of the door. “If you can get past me, I’ll let you go.” She said.
Wick tried to go around her, only for her to move back in front of him. He tried the other side with the same results.
“Alice, please.” Wick whined.
“Get past me and you can go.”
Wick grabbed Alice by the waist, lifting her an inch off of the ground only to put her back down.
“Fine, you win. I won’t go.”
“Good. Now go sleep or sit down. I’ll try to take care of it, alright?”
“Alright,” Wick finally resigned, sitting down in the room’s one chair. He didn’t want to, but he lacked the energy to argue.
Watching her brother sit down, Alice grabbed her duster jacket and headed out. She would try her best to speak on behalf of Ketin and Nirix; though she wouldn’t be surprised if it didn't work and they just decided to hold onto them both until the voyage ended. Still, Alice told Wick she would help and help she would.
Standing up, Wick fell back down onto tired legs. Using his powers had taken its toll, but he wasn’t really planning on letting it stop him.
“Wick, where are you going?” Alice asked, putting down her work with the gun pieces.
“They’re being arrested. I’ve got to go help them.”
“What? No, you aren’t going anywhere. You aren’t looking too good right now.”
“I’ve GOT to go, Alice.”
Alice stood in front of the door. “If you can get past me, I’ll let you go.” She said.
Wick tried to go around her, only for her to move back in front of him. He tried the other side with the same results.
“Alice, please.” Wick whined.
“Get past me and you can go.”
Wick grabbed Alice by the waist, lifting her an inch off of the ground only to put her back down.
“Fine, you win. I won’t go.”
“Good. Now go sleep or sit down. I’ll try to take care of it, alright?”
“Alright,” Wick finally resigned, sitting down in the room’s one chair. He didn’t want to, but he lacked the energy to argue.
Watching her brother sit down, Alice grabbed her duster jacket and headed out. She would try her best to speak on behalf of Ketin and Nirix; though she wouldn’t be surprised if it didn't work and they just decided to hold onto them both until the voyage ended. Still, Alice told Wick she would help and help she would.
As Gwen continue to play on her instrument, focusing more on her musical notes and where her fingers were on the instrument, the hooded woman merely looked at the floor and listen as she played. As Gwen continue to play, the hooded woman's caught the on looking of a metal man in all white. She leans back on the bench and says "Apparently we have an on looker" as she looks at her player. The Violinist didn't really care as she focused on playing her music. As if on que, the hooded woman leans forward and waves Raigan down, to get him to stop being a stalker like individual and have him come into a much better view.
If he came over and once in front of them, Gwen finishes her music. "Hope you enjoyed the little performance?" the hooded woman asks in her seductive voice as her thin eyes eyed Raigan giving him a one over. "Would you like a...request?" the hooded woman asks as she crosses her legs, showing off her bare tan feet to him as the robes show the outline of her tone legs to him. Gwen remained quiet, but gave this on looker a friendly smile as she rests the instrument on her lap. "Depending on who you are...maybe a little adventure?" as the hooded woman adds as she leans back having the the robes press against her body, showing the outline of her curvacious figure to him, all in line to see what he does and give an eye on who she and Gwen are dealing with.
If he came over and once in front of them, Gwen finishes her music. "Hope you enjoyed the little performance?" the hooded woman asks in her seductive voice as her thin eyes eyed Raigan giving him a one over. "Would you like a...request?" the hooded woman asks as she crosses her legs, showing off her bare tan feet to him as the robes show the outline of her tone legs to him. Gwen remained quiet, but gave this on looker a friendly smile as she rests the instrument on her lap. "Depending on who you are...maybe a little adventure?" as the hooded woman adds as she leans back having the the robes press against her body, showing the outline of her curvacious figure to him, all in line to see what he does and give an eye on who she and Gwen are dealing with.
Planet Phebean IV, Kalamir City
Riagan sighed and fidgeted once the woman waved, not initially moving from his spot near the beautiful trimmed foliage. He pretended it was more interesting but knew that his current appearance was just too strange to overlook. With some frustration the mercenary cussed and stepped closer, still maintaining a distance of ten feet. The fidgeting continued-- the cyborg twiddled his fingers, occasionally picking an extremely loose mechanical little finger from its socket and twirling it around. With each shift of his elbow there was a soft whirl; not that it would be easy to hear over the music.
He noticed the shift in the woman's posture but seemed impassive to it, only responding to her later question... after a good thirty seconds of thought. "I'm no adventurer. If you want my help you'd better have an offer ready." Riagan kept a harsh tone- wary of other sentient life forms as always- but continued playing with that loose pinky of his. Actually, it picked up a little; speaking to anyone, especially someone he interpreted to be manipulating him easily irritated the man. "Aren't you cold?"
The cyborg chanced a glance back at Gwen, or more specifically her violin. It wasn't so much the sound as it was its appearance that kept his attention; the ancient instrument was something he definitely recognized. Externally he was silent but inside his mask the man was mumbling commands to the programs running inside; tiny images flitted all around his head as he searched for anything that actually featured a violin in his music collection.
(Note: he has a NY accent. Whups! Well I guess there's no mystery as to what he was thinking about earlier anymore!)
Riagan sighed and fidgeted once the woman waved, not initially moving from his spot near the beautiful trimmed foliage. He pretended it was more interesting but knew that his current appearance was just too strange to overlook. With some frustration the mercenary cussed and stepped closer, still maintaining a distance of ten feet. The fidgeting continued-- the cyborg twiddled his fingers, occasionally picking an extremely loose mechanical little finger from its socket and twirling it around. With each shift of his elbow there was a soft whirl; not that it would be easy to hear over the music.
He noticed the shift in the woman's posture but seemed impassive to it, only responding to her later question... after a good thirty seconds of thought. "I'm no adventurer. If you want my help you'd better have an offer ready." Riagan kept a harsh tone- wary of other sentient life forms as always- but continued playing with that loose pinky of his. Actually, it picked up a little; speaking to anyone, especially someone he interpreted to be manipulating him easily irritated the man. "Aren't you cold?"
The cyborg chanced a glance back at Gwen, or more specifically her violin. It wasn't so much the sound as it was its appearance that kept his attention; the ancient instrument was something he definitely recognized. Externally he was silent but inside his mask the man was mumbling commands to the programs running inside; tiny images flitted all around his head as he searched for anything that actually featured a violin in his music collection.
(Note: he has a NY accent. Whups! Well I guess there's no mystery as to what he was thinking about earlier anymore!)
Planet Chaka, Port City of Luwell's Crater
A large starport on the metal rich but jungle covered planet Chaka, The city of Luwell's Crater has formed around a large impact crater that now serves as the main landing and takeoff area for incoming and outgoing vessels. Once a modern and beautiful city, much of the city has become little more then slums and black market trade has boomed. While normally a heavily policed city, it has recently become more lawless after the ruling goverment, the oppressive Union of Niven Socialist Republics, has fallen after a unexpected coup d'etat. Much of the city's security and police forces have since fled the city, fearing the retribution of those they once controlled. Now the city was part of the Niven Alliance, who claims to be a new democratic body.
Current Local Time, Midnight
In one of the more ruined western sections of the city, the sound of rain pelting the roof was a harsh reminder of the current situation. "Think it'll ever stop Jin?" a older, pale faced man in heavy full body armor and a shotgun said to younger woman with a pistol in little more then civilian clothes. They both sat at a table inside the staff break room of a abandoned hotel "The rain or us being hunted? It's neither Jack. It's always raining here and they won't stop until they can hold our heads up in front of the cameras. Just like they did with Dani's team. They didn't even fight back...and they still butchered th-" The crunching noise of broken glass being walked on cause both of them to turn and point weapons at the doorway to the lobby.
Asya walk through the door way with hands raised, though the other two put their weapons down once they saw it was her "They are still searching the east end of the city where they shot the pelican down. It will be while before they realize we got this far....not with all the gifts we left them laying around. You two go up a floor and find a place to grab some rest. I'll stay down here and keep watch."
Nodding, both of her companions get up and head out of the room and up the nearby stairwell, leaving Asya alone to think and wait. She hadn't told them she had seen new troops being dropped off near the crash site, wearing direct action armor like their own. It meant the hunters had become the hunted. They had to get off planet and out of Niven space soon.
A large starport on the metal rich but jungle covered planet Chaka, The city of Luwell's Crater has formed around a large impact crater that now serves as the main landing and takeoff area for incoming and outgoing vessels. Once a modern and beautiful city, much of the city has become little more then slums and black market trade has boomed. While normally a heavily policed city, it has recently become more lawless after the ruling goverment, the oppressive Union of Niven Socialist Republics, has fallen after a unexpected coup d'etat. Much of the city's security and police forces have since fled the city, fearing the retribution of those they once controlled. Now the city was part of the Niven Alliance, who claims to be a new democratic body.
Current Local Time, Midnight
In one of the more ruined western sections of the city, the sound of rain pelting the roof was a harsh reminder of the current situation. "Think it'll ever stop Jin?" a older, pale faced man in heavy full body armor and a shotgun said to younger woman with a pistol in little more then civilian clothes. They both sat at a table inside the staff break room of a abandoned hotel "The rain or us being hunted? It's neither Jack. It's always raining here and they won't stop until they can hold our heads up in front of the cameras. Just like they did with Dani's team. They didn't even fight back...and they still butchered th-" The crunching noise of broken glass being walked on cause both of them to turn and point weapons at the doorway to the lobby.
Asya walk through the door way with hands raised, though the other two put their weapons down once they saw it was her "They are still searching the east end of the city where they shot the pelican down. It will be while before they realize we got this far....not with all the gifts we left them laying around. You two go up a floor and find a place to grab some rest. I'll stay down here and keep watch."
Nodding, both of her companions get up and head out of the room and up the nearby stairwell, leaving Asya alone to think and wait. She hadn't told them she had seen new troops being dropped off near the crash site, wearing direct action armor like their own. It meant the hunters had become the hunted. They had to get off planet and out of Niven space soon.
Kovacs glowered at his role panel, the numerous blips of an orbital array pissing him off. Sure, he could easily bypass it with his Frame Shift Drive, but there was something about this world that gave him an odd vibe. It was almost familiar.
The galactic database registered the planet as Chaka in orbit around a K type star. It was a small world, rocky and with 0.86G of gravity. It had a moderate population, definitely numerous enough to cover most of the world, and appeared to have recently undergone a regime change. Something Kovacs had been instrumental in back in his own universe...
Perhaps Ellen could... no, he wasn't going to bother her. It had been only a few hours since the unfortunate encounter with the ship that didn't need saving, and the spider still hadn't left her quarters. He was still reeling from the sudden emotion he had felt after vacating the system, but managed to get a hold of himself soon after. Even if their stunt had not been a bluff, their only saving grace from destruction was Jet.
That's what he tried telling himself, at least.
In truth, Ellen's relationship with the Rin kid would have been enough to give the man pause, but he wasn't willing to admit it to himself. The console pinged, alerting him to the completion of a detailed surface scan of the world. There was one spaceport that was slightly active, built around a large impact crater. It was surrounded by metropolis for miles, and it was clear that this was the country's capitol.
Or something like that...
Either way, it was a landing pad, and the commander had already sent a request for permission to touchdown. It was cleared within moments, a sign of a corrupt system that was likely rife with illegal trade. Would the White Death have been native to this galaxy, it would have taken several minutes to land, but it instead took two and a half. As the automated docking computer took over, the ship slid through the atmosphere like a sheet of paper through those sensitive layers of skin on your hands. Quick and clean and the damage unnoticeable until it was far too late.
Kovacs finished strapping his armor on as the vessel touched down, alighting precisely on the concrete below. Leaving a message for Ellen to stay on board the ship, he let the Spectres patrol the vessel while BN-33 noticed his boss.
<</We go to meet locals?/>> the machine bleeped like an excited child.
"Grab your X-96, I doubt it's safe."
Barney snapped a crisp salute before snatching his Volt from its place atop a metal crate. Kovacs rolled his eyes at the blatant disregard for regulations as the cargo ramp lowered. It would be a good bit before he finished his inspection, sending Barney ahead to look for sufficiently advanced technology.
The galactic database registered the planet as Chaka in orbit around a K type star. It was a small world, rocky and with 0.86G of gravity. It had a moderate population, definitely numerous enough to cover most of the world, and appeared to have recently undergone a regime change. Something Kovacs had been instrumental in back in his own universe...
Perhaps Ellen could... no, he wasn't going to bother her. It had been only a few hours since the unfortunate encounter with the ship that didn't need saving, and the spider still hadn't left her quarters. He was still reeling from the sudden emotion he had felt after vacating the system, but managed to get a hold of himself soon after. Even if their stunt had not been a bluff, their only saving grace from destruction was Jet.
That's what he tried telling himself, at least.
In truth, Ellen's relationship with the Rin kid would have been enough to give the man pause, but he wasn't willing to admit it to himself. The console pinged, alerting him to the completion of a detailed surface scan of the world. There was one spaceport that was slightly active, built around a large impact crater. It was surrounded by metropolis for miles, and it was clear that this was the country's capitol.
Or something like that...
Either way, it was a landing pad, and the commander had already sent a request for permission to touchdown. It was cleared within moments, a sign of a corrupt system that was likely rife with illegal trade. Would the White Death have been native to this galaxy, it would have taken several minutes to land, but it instead took two and a half. As the automated docking computer took over, the ship slid through the atmosphere like a sheet of paper through those sensitive layers of skin on your hands. Quick and clean and the damage unnoticeable until it was far too late.
Kovacs finished strapping his armor on as the vessel touched down, alighting precisely on the concrete below. Leaving a message for Ellen to stay on board the ship, he let the Spectres patrol the vessel while BN-33 noticed his boss.
<</We go to meet locals?/>> the machine bleeped like an excited child.
"Grab your X-96, I doubt it's safe."
Barney snapped a crisp salute before snatching his Volt from its place atop a metal crate. Kovacs rolled his eyes at the blatant disregard for regulations as the cargo ramp lowered. It would be a good bit before he finished his inspection, sending Barney ahead to look for sufficiently advanced technology.
Erica
Soon the Lord of Time and Space and Rin’s friends soon appeared into Kremlin mall’s system. The as they arrived, Erica looked on her scanner as well as looking on the system’s communication and gave a raised eyebrow seeing a large amount of military communications happening in the system. Oddly, it’s not the planetary system military, it was foreign. She groans hoping its not affect the mall itself…oh how wrong she was.
As her ship drops from hypercrusie into the Kremlin Mall’s space, she finally saw where the military communication was coming from. Apparently, Laurent’s little side weapon shipment was just enough to spark the insurgency to get support from the Ovain Empire and so at the side of the giant orbital station, bombarding its defenses is the Bougainville-class battleship, The Conway from the Ovain empire with its dual mounted heavy energy cannons on the top of the long ship while a smaller dual energy on the undercarriage of the ship. Its most notable feature is deep purple color of the ship as well as its forward hammerhead design of the bridge, as well as the light blue energy coming from its massive twin engines, giving the ship a ghostly appearance as the fumes surround the ship and the only thing that can be seen is flashes of light as it fires it broadside cannons into the station and taking minimal damage in return. Of course The Conway is escorted by two similar frigates Vauban class similar in design of the battleship but missing the notable cannons on top and on bottom as well as the hammerhead design of the bridge on those ships also pounding the station as well as dropping off troops and supplies. From the communications chatter, Erica could tell this was not a invasion force at first, but soon one will arrive to take over the planet after the orbital is taken.
“Shit!” she exclaims as she steady’s the ship towards the Mall, intending to get what she wants even if she has to go through a war zone for it. She opens the ships intercom system on board and lets her traveling companions know what is happening. “A heads up is that Kremlin Mall is currently being under attack by Ovain forces. I recommend staying on the ship for your safety, but if you must get off, there is an small armory next to your ship, and be welcome to any weapons you can grab and protect the ship while I’ll get down and get the information for your missing friend, Erica out” and with that she makes sure that station nor the ships detect her as she passes the airlock and enters the large circular hanger that goes around the Mall. Once landed, Ova draws her sword and energy pistol and gets off. She turns back and to whoever she see’s first, she says to them “Be careful, or getting this information would be for not. I’ll be quick as I can” and goes off to get the information she needs. Luckily all the landing pads are empty and no activity is happening around Erica’s ship, but there is fighting happening all over the station as one could hear the fighting in the distance, with men and woman screaming in pain as well as the zaps of energy weapons and the tings of kinetic based weapons being fired as well as men and machine giving commands…
For Erica, as she made her way through the corridors, she was hulling ass to the control room so she could be in and out of the station before the real shit it’s the fan.
Soon the Lord of Time and Space and Rin’s friends soon appeared into Kremlin mall’s system. The as they arrived, Erica looked on her scanner as well as looking on the system’s communication and gave a raised eyebrow seeing a large amount of military communications happening in the system. Oddly, it’s not the planetary system military, it was foreign. She groans hoping its not affect the mall itself…oh how wrong she was.
As her ship drops from hypercrusie into the Kremlin Mall’s space, she finally saw where the military communication was coming from. Apparently, Laurent’s little side weapon shipment was just enough to spark the insurgency to get support from the Ovain Empire and so at the side of the giant orbital station, bombarding its defenses is the Bougainville-class battleship, The Conway from the Ovain empire with its dual mounted heavy energy cannons on the top of the long ship while a smaller dual energy on the undercarriage of the ship. Its most notable feature is deep purple color of the ship as well as its forward hammerhead design of the bridge, as well as the light blue energy coming from its massive twin engines, giving the ship a ghostly appearance as the fumes surround the ship and the only thing that can be seen is flashes of light as it fires it broadside cannons into the station and taking minimal damage in return. Of course The Conway is escorted by two similar frigates Vauban class similar in design of the battleship but missing the notable cannons on top and on bottom as well as the hammerhead design of the bridge on those ships also pounding the station as well as dropping off troops and supplies. From the communications chatter, Erica could tell this was not a invasion force at first, but soon one will arrive to take over the planet after the orbital is taken.
“Shit!” she exclaims as she steady’s the ship towards the Mall, intending to get what she wants even if she has to go through a war zone for it. She opens the ships intercom system on board and lets her traveling companions know what is happening. “A heads up is that Kremlin Mall is currently being under attack by Ovain forces. I recommend staying on the ship for your safety, but if you must get off, there is an small armory next to your ship, and be welcome to any weapons you can grab and protect the ship while I’ll get down and get the information for your missing friend, Erica out” and with that she makes sure that station nor the ships detect her as she passes the airlock and enters the large circular hanger that goes around the Mall. Once landed, Ova draws her sword and energy pistol and gets off. She turns back and to whoever she see’s first, she says to them “Be careful, or getting this information would be for not. I’ll be quick as I can” and goes off to get the information she needs. Luckily all the landing pads are empty and no activity is happening around Erica’s ship, but there is fighting happening all over the station as one could hear the fighting in the distance, with men and woman screaming in pain as well as the zaps of energy weapons and the tings of kinetic based weapons being fired as well as men and machine giving commands…
For Erica, as she made her way through the corridors, she was hulling ass to the control room so she could be in and out of the station before the real shit it’s the fan.
Retconned
processor-nexuses. With Ave in their possession, the Versians could rest easy that their foe could not fully retaliate. Decentralize the NIRN, and the automated Éva instances would flounder helplessly against the coordinated strategy of the Vanguard.
Now they can use her own survival instincts against her: Hiding in the deep dark requires a high degree of compartmentalization and self-induced isolation; the Versians had their work cut out for them with so many distant targets, but there was no escort garrison, even for her most precious assets. It would be too visible.
Normally Ave's NIRN relied on instant response daemons to deal with threats like this, making use of their quantum incursion technology to appear immediately wherever they may be needed in an emergency, no matter the distance. But without the central personality to coordinate the various members of the NIRN, it was little more than a wise machine.
Fabrication facilities and maintenance ports would only just be coming online, and what little militia could be scrounged out of the teeming void could only do so much. This would be a war fought with her caught pants-down.
The Vanguard organized itself into multiple strike groups, spread over each and every one of the central cortices. There would be resistance, but not enough and always on the back heel as the limited predictive algorithms failed to compete against Archer's full intellectual capacity. A captured Denizen two, and one is already working for the Versians.
And this wise machine was scattered.
"Affirmative."
Ave was present; in whatever castrated form they existed in, anyhow. Their platform was some kind of mass-fabrication model android in a rankless uniform. In some sense, they would witness their own death, as Chancellor Arthur took away any life they could have outside of Versian control.
Within seconds, the shuddering of return fire reminded the crew that with or without Ave, Éva was still a formidable foe. The machine was missing pieces, but it was still highly intelligent, and in possession of equally advanced technologies. For the moment, however,
the lightshow was stagnant in its strobing. This would be a war of attrition.
One which took place over thousands of stars, thousands of times, all at once, and now.
It is not subtle.
For a moment Rin could only stare, flabbergasted and too stunned in disbelief to move as Tsuan practically laughed in his ear, draped over his tiny frame. Then, just when the hubbub died down to the occasional chortle, he bowed his head, fingers pinching the bridge of his nose... and snickered.
"Oh my gosh, guys... I never escape the crazy ones," he said, half annoyed- like he was trying to restrain himself from laughing- and half resigned- like it was a joke he'd heard a million times before. "I thought I was stuck with sane soldiers," he said, a small smile crossing his face as he put his hand down. He paused, turned a little toward Tsuan... and shot him a thoughtful, teasing look. "Well, somewhat sane, anyway," he muttered, just loud enough for everyone present to hear.
He really was in a good mood, if he was willing to let the near-death scare go so easily. Finding out your family was so near could do that to a person.
He looked to the side, a bit flushed all of a sudden. "I... can't believe you're turning the ship around for my team," he said, lowly. A warm feeling, light as air, around his chest.
It was thankfulness.
"I don't know how I can repay you all for... for taking me in, and..." he stopped, shaking his head and looking up at Ty in the eye. "I can't thank everyone enough."
"Oh my gosh, guys... I never escape the crazy ones," he said, half annoyed- like he was trying to restrain himself from laughing- and half resigned- like it was a joke he'd heard a million times before. "I thought I was stuck with sane soldiers," he said, a small smile crossing his face as he put his hand down. He paused, turned a little toward Tsuan... and shot him a thoughtful, teasing look. "Well, somewhat sane, anyway," he muttered, just loud enough for everyone present to hear.
He really was in a good mood, if he was willing to let the near-death scare go so easily. Finding out your family was so near could do that to a person.
He looked to the side, a bit flushed all of a sudden. "I... can't believe you're turning the ship around for my team," he said, lowly. A warm feeling, light as air, around his chest.
It was thankfulness.
"I don't know how I can repay you all for... for taking me in, and..." he stopped, shaking his head and looking up at Ty in the eye. "I can't thank everyone enough."
"Aren't we a bit saucey today?" the hooded woman states as she looks at the man in front of them. Gwen looks at him too as he looks at her winterized violin with its white furnish and the black detailing making the old instrument pop in view making it look different than the monolithic color of the snow around them. "I do enjoy the way you are so eager for an offer. What if the offer was really good would go into a suicidal mission in which we all may end up dying or worse? Plus do even have the classifications in what the task that have never stated has at hand? What is it are you good at?" the hooded woman asks him wanting to hear his answers before saying anything else about this potential job offer and its reward for it.
The hooded woman scanned this man with her keen eyes seeing what she can make out is flesh and what is robotic. "Hmm maybe perfect either way" she says in her mind as she continues to look at him, seeing his flesh/synthetic composition maybe just right for this job. However she needed to know more info, before telling him the job and giving him a taste in whats in store for him as a reward.
The hooded woman scanned this man with her keen eyes seeing what she can make out is flesh and what is robotic. "Hmm maybe perfect either way" she says in her mind as she continues to look at him, seeing his flesh/synthetic composition maybe just right for this job. However she needed to know more info, before telling him the job and giving him a taste in whats in store for him as a reward.
Laurent listen to Rin's appreciation when he left and he felt something that he occasionally feels at times...he felt a bit uneasy. He felt alone, for him it was clear that Rin's favor was towards this new team that he compared his time with the Neko, only a short time. Even though Laurent has done is dubious and embarrassing, but in his mind, he thought he was doing it for Rin's benefit, but it seems like everyone just hates him for it even though trying to help the Nyran. As he arrives at the cargo area of the ship, he quickly finds his clothes and his hidden weapons and puts them on his body looking like the usual self he is, but a little glum about it.
After putting his clothes on, he climbed on top of the engine deck of his tank and then onto the towering turret of the old KV-2. He sat on the front of the turret, his feet dangling off of it as he stares at the small windows that show the space and the stars being zoomed by as they traveled through space. He sighs as he feels the familiar nudge of the mouse droid nudging him like a toy car against a much larger object. He picks up the small box on wheels and puts it on his lap and smiles "At least you'll never think ill of me" as he cackles a little to himself as he rest his hand on top of the small droid. As he sat there, just swayed to himself, knowing full well no matter what will happen after they get to Lord Ova's planet is that they would just get rid of him...like how Ova did to him, give him the boot and go back to his usual self in selling junk and repairing junk. "I do nice things, tiny things and no matter what I do, I get yelled at, but you know what I don't care...I don't" he says to himself as he could feel his begin to water. "I kicked out from her and now after all this is done, I'll be kicked out again...I'll just go to my usual self, Yes!Maybe? I don't know..." the mad man adds as he could feel streams of tears come from his cheeks. Even though his crooked mind was saying all these things, but his heart was saying something else.
"Do I have actual friends? Are they all just junk?" he asks himself as he continues to sway on top of the tank as he was in his head thinking. "Maybe I should just leave instruction and leave? Maybe...." he thought to himself as he continues to think to himself. "I don't know...or maybe I do? I just refuse to listen" he adds as his eyes went up and continue to stare into the large abyss of space, lost in his own mind, seeing that no one really wants him anywhere and only use him because he is useful in certain areas and slowly begins to think of them as just another Lord Ova....
After putting his clothes on, he climbed on top of the engine deck of his tank and then onto the towering turret of the old KV-2. He sat on the front of the turret, his feet dangling off of it as he stares at the small windows that show the space and the stars being zoomed by as they traveled through space. He sighs as he feels the familiar nudge of the mouse droid nudging him like a toy car against a much larger object. He picks up the small box on wheels and puts it on his lap and smiles "At least you'll never think ill of me" as he cackles a little to himself as he rest his hand on top of the small droid. As he sat there, just swayed to himself, knowing full well no matter what will happen after they get to Lord Ova's planet is that they would just get rid of him...like how Ova did to him, give him the boot and go back to his usual self in selling junk and repairing junk. "I do nice things, tiny things and no matter what I do, I get yelled at, but you know what I don't care...I don't" he says to himself as he could feel his begin to water. "I kicked out from her and now after all this is done, I'll be kicked out again...I'll just go to my usual self, Yes!Maybe? I don't know..." the mad man adds as he could feel streams of tears come from his cheeks. Even though his crooked mind was saying all these things, but his heart was saying something else.
"Do I have actual friends? Are they all just junk?" he asks himself as he continues to sway on top of the tank as he was in his head thinking. "Maybe I should just leave instruction and leave? Maybe...." he thought to himself as he continues to think to himself. "I don't know...or maybe I do? I just refuse to listen" he adds as his eyes went up and continue to stare into the large abyss of space, lost in his own mind, seeing that no one really wants him anywhere and only use him because he is useful in certain areas and slowly begins to think of them as just another Lord Ova....
Planet Phebean IV, Kalamir City
"All day. Every day." The cyborg replied. He glanced up toward Gwen when her eyes turned on him, though it was hard to tell through that featureless mask. He looked back at the cloaked woman when she continued speaking and waited for her to ask all of those questions before he moved to respond. The man shifted, trying to straighten his posture while mumbling beneath his armor. A few seconds spent in silence and stillness passed before he reattached his little finger and brought up its corresponding forearm. From a tiny, watch-shaped terminal sprouted a holographic cyan interface; he brushed his fingers across it, pushing away ethereal documents just to expand one for their view. It was a resume, an extensive collection of contractual jobs and company names articulating the man's recent 'professional' history. Like any resume, it would also feature basic information on his identity.
The list goes on; some contracts seem more mediocre than others but their dates go back hundreds of years by both Galactic Standard and his own, older method of tracking time. Somewhat between the lines there is an explanation; if the woman was familiar with a few of the locations shown she'd know that none of them were in the same place, meaning that the mercenary was almost always in transit.
"...I wasn't saying that to be eager. I was saying it to be rude." Riagan added, bluntly. He knew from her earlier comment that she understood but wanted to reiterate anyway. "But it wouldn't be my first suicide mission. The rest is for you to tell me, chilly." The cyborg quirked his brow as she stared at him. Though he was not aware of just why she stared so intently, a twinge of paranoia set in.
He stared at the woman directly before abruptly turning his eyes (not his head) toward the side, directed at a nearby plant. He waited a second and then glanced back at her, wondering if she could follow his gaze.
"All day. Every day." The cyborg replied. He glanced up toward Gwen when her eyes turned on him, though it was hard to tell through that featureless mask. He looked back at the cloaked woman when she continued speaking and waited for her to ask all of those questions before he moved to respond. The man shifted, trying to straighten his posture while mumbling beneath his armor. A few seconds spent in silence and stillness passed before he reattached his little finger and brought up its corresponding forearm. From a tiny, watch-shaped terminal sprouted a holographic cyan interface; he brushed his fingers across it, pushing away ethereal documents just to expand one for their view. It was a resume, an extensive collection of contractual jobs and company names articulating the man's recent 'professional' history. Like any resume, it would also feature basic information on his identity.
The list goes on; some contracts seem more mediocre than others but their dates go back hundreds of years by both Galactic Standard and his own, older method of tracking time. Somewhat between the lines there is an explanation; if the woman was familiar with a few of the locations shown she'd know that none of them were in the same place, meaning that the mercenary was almost always in transit.
"...I wasn't saying that to be eager. I was saying it to be rude." Riagan added, bluntly. He knew from her earlier comment that she understood but wanted to reiterate anyway. "But it wouldn't be my first suicide mission. The rest is for you to tell me, chilly." The cyborg quirked his brow as she stared at him. Though he was not aware of just why she stared so intently, a twinge of paranoia set in.
He stared at the woman directly before abruptly turning his eyes (not his head) toward the side, directed at a nearby plant. He waited a second and then glanced back at her, wondering if she could follow his gaze.
The hooded woman began to slowly laugh seeing what the man part machine said and what he brought up. Soon she was laughing quiet loudly as she then turned to Gwen and asks her "You think he could do it?" Gwen took a moment and then look at him, noticing he was looking at the plant and then back on them for a moment. Her eyes squint a little till a small smile came to her face and looks back at the hooded woman and says "I think he can do, he seems to fit the bill" The hooded woman nodded and looks back at Raigen and says "Well it seems we are at an agreement, so your mission will be escorting us to the planet of Gyros, escort us to a certain machine and get us out of the system, simple yes?" as her cheeks could be seen letting him know she was smiling. Gwen decided to butt in says "Well its not that simple since this planet is home to an alien race that wishes to consume all sentient life in the universe but houses a machine that we need to use, more specifically her" as she points to the hooded woman. "I understand if you don't want to but we can say the rewards are worth it though" the hooded woman explains as she crosses her arms and eyes him, see what would do or say, curious if he would actually accept or not.
Planet Phebean IV, Kalamir City
Riagan noticed that his gaze was followed and seemed shocked; were they able to see through his helmet?! Then as the two filled him in he closed the holograph on his wrist and checked his camera settings, realizing that their exterior lenses were moving again. With a grumble he turned that setting off and turned his attention back to them. The cyborg shook his head but said, "You have to name your price before I consider anything, let alone something as stupid as that."
He almost mirrored the cloaked woman by folding his arms and awaiting her offer. Externally he was completely still, stern and expectant. Inside the armor the man was grimacing, considering his options. Sure, he'd spent enough time alive that it wouldn't be a big shame if he kicked the bucket but alien consumption was potentially a lot more complex and torturous than that. Riagan wondered if the beings they spoke of were just hungry or if they were developing their own hive mind; it would be a lousy turn of events to be assimilated into a collective. At least then he wouldn't be suffering alone?
He weighed mentally on what sort of payment would be worth that kind of risk but figured he wouldn't be able to haggle it much; to humans, any sort of major change could mean death in some way. Then something occurred to him.
"Oh, and if I say yes, I need to know how you want us to get there." He was capable of taking them but knew that the two might prefer to use thier own methods.
Riagan noticed that his gaze was followed and seemed shocked; were they able to see through his helmet?! Then as the two filled him in he closed the holograph on his wrist and checked his camera settings, realizing that their exterior lenses were moving again. With a grumble he turned that setting off and turned his attention back to them. The cyborg shook his head but said, "You have to name your price before I consider anything, let alone something as stupid as that."
He almost mirrored the cloaked woman by folding his arms and awaiting her offer. Externally he was completely still, stern and expectant. Inside the armor the man was grimacing, considering his options. Sure, he'd spent enough time alive that it wouldn't be a big shame if he kicked the bucket but alien consumption was potentially a lot more complex and torturous than that. Riagan wondered if the beings they spoke of were just hungry or if they were developing their own hive mind; it would be a lousy turn of events to be assimilated into a collective. At least then he wouldn't be suffering alone?
He weighed mentally on what sort of payment would be worth that kind of risk but figured he wouldn't be able to haggle it much; to humans, any sort of major change could mean death in some way. Then something occurred to him.
"Oh, and if I say yes, I need to know how you want us to get there." He was capable of taking them but knew that the two might prefer to use thier own methods.
"If you are looking for a man who has absolutely no value in his own or others lives, then I'm your guy! Do you pay by the hour? Or by the quality of the job?" yammered an oddly dressed man, coming from an unknown location (most likely he was squatting in a bush lookin for people to rob) behind the bench. "Sorry to eavesdrop, it's a bad habit of mine, but I overheard you guys and ol' bucket boy talking about an escort mission? Well, depending on the price, I will guarantee safe travels to almost anywhere in the immediate galaxy!" exclaimed Ringo, smiling and speaking with a tone of voice more closely resembling a game show host rather than a mercenary. Taking an unwelcome seat on the bench, Ringo threw a candied sandworm into his mouth and began loudly chewing, "Yer prolly wundering, *crunch*, who thiss guy, *crunch*, thunks he is, *a couple of crunches*, well, I um, *some gulping and then one large swallowing sound*, THE GREAT OUTLAW, RIN...$&@% heartburn, $&@% my stomach, worst time...let me repeat, I AM THE GREAT OUTLAW, RINGO RODRIGUEZ!".
Things had finally seemed to calm down. All of the crew had a good laugh after the whole core meltdown incident, and even Jet, who was still in shock, eventually let out a couple of chuckles.
"So now what do we do? Just strap in?" asked Jet as he began to look around the ship. It was much nicer than his previous ship, but not as clean and sleek as the White Death. The difference was quite noticeable but it wasn't bad. When Jet was on the White Death he felt as if he had stepped into an alien temple or monolith. It had this unnatural clean to it, as if someone had cleaned the ship from top to bottom every other day. Compare this to the Koolest, which felt like a used diner.
"So now what do we do? Just strap in?" asked Jet as he began to look around the ship. It was much nicer than his previous ship, but not as clean and sleek as the White Death. The difference was quite noticeable but it wasn't bad. When Jet was on the White Death he felt as if he had stepped into an alien temple or monolith. It had this unnatural clean to it, as if someone had cleaned the ship from top to bottom every other day. Compare this to the Koolest, which felt like a used diner.
The hooded woman chuckle and says to Riagen "Oh there is a hefty price for doing this job and you get to have a taste for it" as she looks at Gwen and nods her head. Gwen smiles as she takes the violin case and flips it over and opens it, showing a hidden compartment with pieces of something in it. She began to put the pieces together, everything snapping into place and after she was done, in her hands was a rifle.
This well balanced lever action rifle had an elegant design to it, seeming to be made out a tough ceramic/ivory like material giving it a nice white finish to it as well as having gold plating on it giving it a very acrane grace to it, making it look like it came from some long lost civilization. From the small ofnthe stock of the rifle its was circular giving the indication you pop the rifle forward and reload it from there than traditional means. As Gwen hands him the rifle, the hooded woman explains "That may look and feel like a rifle but it's really a shotgun, it's primary fire is shooting slug rounds, able to penetrate pretty thick armor from a considerable distance as long as you take into account the bullet drop. If you feel under the barrel the gold piece can be move and that's the pump action for the secondary fire which is classic incendiary buckshot...dragon's breath if you want the slang term" as she crossed her legs and adds "Call it a gift from the void and it's all yours, mind you that's only one part of your reward" as she winks at Riagen.
She then turns to ringo and says "My, my, my aren't you a cute boy? Even though having the tin man around is enough since I'm sure he could survive if he walks into a much more toxic atmosphere on a planet, but I guess we can take you on, have someone guard the ship and Gwen as me and the tin man here get down and get to work...yes" she says as she slowly nodded her head. "This is not a simple escort mission, getting there isn't a problem it's when we get there is the real game is at" she explains as she looks at both of them. "I can pay you once the job is finished, but it's not going to be as much as him, but it's still a lot on the grand scheme of things and possibly in your life" as she lets out a giggle.
"Oh going to the Dendril's home planet is going to be fun...hopefully we don't get assimilate and turn into those biomechanical beings" she adds as she leans back on the bench, giving both men some eye candy of the outline of her curvaceous body under her black robes.
This well balanced lever action rifle had an elegant design to it, seeming to be made out a tough ceramic/ivory like material giving it a nice white finish to it as well as having gold plating on it giving it a very acrane grace to it, making it look like it came from some long lost civilization. From the small ofnthe stock of the rifle its was circular giving the indication you pop the rifle forward and reload it from there than traditional means. As Gwen hands him the rifle, the hooded woman explains "That may look and feel like a rifle but it's really a shotgun, it's primary fire is shooting slug rounds, able to penetrate pretty thick armor from a considerable distance as long as you take into account the bullet drop. If you feel under the barrel the gold piece can be move and that's the pump action for the secondary fire which is classic incendiary buckshot...dragon's breath if you want the slang term" as she crossed her legs and adds "Call it a gift from the void and it's all yours, mind you that's only one part of your reward" as she winks at Riagen.
She then turns to ringo and says "My, my, my aren't you a cute boy? Even though having the tin man around is enough since I'm sure he could survive if he walks into a much more toxic atmosphere on a planet, but I guess we can take you on, have someone guard the ship and Gwen as me and the tin man here get down and get to work...yes" she says as she slowly nodded her head. "This is not a simple escort mission, getting there isn't a problem it's when we get there is the real game is at" she explains as she looks at both of them. "I can pay you once the job is finished, but it's not going to be as much as him, but it's still a lot on the grand scheme of things and possibly in your life" as she lets out a giggle.
"Oh going to the Dendril's home planet is going to be fun...hopefully we don't get assimilate and turn into those biomechanical beings" she adds as she leans back on the bench, giving both men some eye candy of the outline of her curvaceous body under her black robes.
Ringo's entrance drew little response from Riagan, other than a sidelong glance. On the bright side he waited for the man to finish his introductory outburst but when he finished did not hesitate to say, "Unless you have a vessel that's state-of-the-art, you're just hot air." He was nonplussed at being called a bucket boy but didn't think it a big deal as he- rather gently- took the violin-gun into his own hands. The cyborg was quiet as the hooded woman explained, tracing his fingers along its stock with care. Beneath the helm, he was awed by the creativity of the craftsmanship and imagined that such a weapon would serve both as a worthy collection piece and a good sell to the rich and luxuriant. Some small part of him wanted to keep it, though his sense of practicality urged against that.
Riagan admired the weapon a while but snapped to when the woman started talking to his potential company for the trip. He felt the gold pump delicately, the constant designations of him as 'tin man' starting to get on his nerves. He half-growled, half-croaked, "Riagan," in rebuttal. "...My name is Riagan." The man wondered what it would look like if he turned the gift-weapon on the trio and a bubbling, repressed rage swelled in his head. He stopped it by cussing again, impulsively and looking away from them. His grip on the shotgun tightened but the cyborg had no intent of really using it... yet.
"The dendril. Those are the aliens you were talkin' about?" Instants after his inquiry the man had brought up search results from local sources on the dendril, as well as a search on alien assimilation and risk factors. Needless to say the second search offered massive amounts of information on species across the galaxy; something too long for the man to read on the fly. He'd have to look at that later.
Riagan admired the weapon a while but snapped to when the woman started talking to his potential company for the trip. He felt the gold pump delicately, the constant designations of him as 'tin man' starting to get on his nerves. He half-growled, half-croaked, "Riagan," in rebuttal. "...My name is Riagan." The man wondered what it would look like if he turned the gift-weapon on the trio and a bubbling, repressed rage swelled in his head. He stopped it by cussing again, impulsively and looking away from them. His grip on the shotgun tightened but the cyborg had no intent of really using it... yet.
"The dendril. Those are the aliens you were talkin' about?" Instants after his inquiry the man had brought up search results from local sources on the dendril, as well as a search on alien assimilation and risk factors. Needless to say the second search offered massive amounts of information on species across the galaxy; something too long for the man to read on the fly. He'd have to look at that later.
"Riagan huh? Nice name...*whispers*..asshat" Ringo wondered allowed, "Well if we team up, then maybe this whole thing will be easier on the two of us, wouldn't you reckon?". Ringo's more primal side had begun to take over as he eyed up the curvy cloaked woman as she moved in a seductive fashion. "His pay won't be cut because of my involvement, would it?" asked Ringo, drool practically coming out of his mouth. Shaking his head, Ringo regained his senses and thought to himself, "Don't get side tracked by the dame, she is there to pay you and nothing else, don't forget that...".
Ringo gave a chuckled and got up out of the bench in an exaggerated motion to show of his false sense of confidence and bravado, trying to somewhat instill the group with faith in Ringo's abilities. In reality, Ringo had been in very few fire fights, and for most of those fire fights, he hid behind a blast-proof door. "What d'you say to working together, partner?" questioned Ringo as he reached his hand out for a handshake. His masquerade of confidence began to fall apart at the seams, as his hand had started to tremble and his smile started to fade.
"I like how I agreed to the deal and asked to be partners with a man who obviously already hates me, all because a bit of cash was offered up...same old greedy Ringo...hehaha" thought Ringo. "Speaking of partners, I wonder how good this guy is, I mean he claims to have 'state-of-the-art equipment, but in this day and age, how can you even tell if things are state-of-the-art? Hopefully his hot air insult doesn't also apply to him..."
Ringo gave a chuckled and got up out of the bench in an exaggerated motion to show of his false sense of confidence and bravado, trying to somewhat instill the group with faith in Ringo's abilities. In reality, Ringo had been in very few fire fights, and for most of those fire fights, he hid behind a blast-proof door. "What d'you say to working together, partner?" questioned Ringo as he reached his hand out for a handshake. His masquerade of confidence began to fall apart at the seams, as his hand had started to tremble and his smile started to fade.
"I like how I agreed to the deal and asked to be partners with a man who obviously already hates me, all because a bit of cash was offered up...same old greedy Ringo...hehaha" thought Ringo. "Speaking of partners, I wonder how good this guy is, I mean he claims to have 'state-of-the-art equipment, but in this day and age, how can you even tell if things are state-of-the-art? Hopefully his hot air insult doesn't also apply to him..."
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