1. Love to Write

    Love to Write I'm a lover of writing. What else is to be said? Contributor

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    Dark Skies

    Discussion in 'Role Play' started by Love to Write, Feb 8, 2016.

    Dark Skies
    "I have been born with both a curse and a gift. In my visions,I see the future and what a terrible future it is. The skies turn dark with the smoke of war. Millions of every race suffer and die at eachother’s hands; turned against each other by the rash actions of prejudiced people. But if there is one thing I’ve learned in my short lifetime, it’s that the future is not set in stone. It is shaped by every choice we make, by every path chosen and every path left behind. A better future is determined by the heroes who rise up and the villains who fall. This future can be changed, of this I’m sure. But I can not do it alone." -Pun Favara

    The year is 3036 A.D.S. (After the Day of the Star). Each Legend about the “Day of the Star” varies from planet to planet but one thread remains true throughout all stories. That 3,000 years ago Humans had dominion over the galaxy, while the other races were just in their beginning years. Obsessed with power the Humans took control of all the races, ruling them with an iron fist. Then the Egrinots came. A mysterious and secretive race with an intelligence far beyond any other race, even to this day. With their advanced technology, the Egrinots destroyed a Star close to the human homeworld and the dominion of humans ended overnight, but not without consequences for no race was left unaffected by the near genocide. A short time later the Egrinots withdrew from the galaxy, appearing only to aid the other races in times extreme need before disappearing again for hundreds of years, as if ashamed for what they had done.

    Now, 3,000 years later the terrible day has nearly been forgotten as new challenges rise up for each planet. The humans, wishing to expand towards the stars again, have sent out an invitation to all the races for a summit to discuss the formation of the first Galactic Council. The mysterious Egrinots have once again emerged from the outer reaches of space to preside over the summit as a trusted neutral party. For many races, this is the only reason why they have bothered to come.

    Your character is among the entourage of races gathering together aboard the Human Space Station Unity. They can be a Representative (first come first served), Servant/slave, Personal Guard, Record Keeper, Pilot, Station Personnel, etc. Little do they know however, that in few short hours their status will have little meaning.

    Setting: Futuristic and alternate version of the Galaxy
    Genre: Sci-Fi, Fantasy; Action, Adventure
    Playable Species: Unlimited


    The Universe in this Dimension

    The Milky Way Galaxy is currently in a state of tentative peace, though prejudice runs high amidst all races and all out war between many different planets looms on the Horizon. Pirates and smugglers of all races are commonly seen in space but a self-made group polices them to the best of their ability. Space travel is common but trade has been limited, yet another reason for the development of a Council.

    Non-Playable but still important Races/People Groups:

    The Guardian Corp:
    The Guardian Corp is a self-made, human-only organization that has taken upon itself the responsibility of policing pirates, smugglers, ect. that don’t get dealt with otherwise. They were founded 100 years ago by an human known only as "Gold". The Earth military watches them closely with extreme skepticism for few humans in the Guardian Corp actually have identification chips which all humans on Earth are implanted with at birth. Which begs the question, where are they from?

    The GC earns money and power by taking the captured loot for themselves and either selling it or using it. No one knows how big they’ve gotten nor where their base of operations is. There is some concern that their Anti-Alien talk may turn into action in the near future.

    Camions:
    Little is known about this quiet and seemingly insignificant alien group. It is known that their homeworld is on Caracoss, a dry dusty world where nothing can live on the irradiated surface. They are humanoid race with scaly skin and colorful feathers on their heads and tails. It is obvious they have a basic level of sentience but few know if it goes beyond that and those on Earth would rather remain ignorant. It is no secret that a group of human scientists have been capturing and studying the ones who’ve taken refuge on earth for advancement in camouflage and stealth technology.

    Egrinots:
    The most mysterious and controversial of all the races are the Egrinots. They are physically “delicate” race with translucent, colorful bodies most commonly compared to the Earth “jelly-fish”. They have hundreds of small tentacles with which they maneuver and pick up things. Since they require a high concentration of humidity to survive off their homeworld, they travel in Unique Environment-bubbles protected by a powerful shield stronger than anything any other race has come up with yet.

    It is common knowledge that the Egrinots are extremely advanced. To attack them would be suicide for while they are peaceful they will defend themselves. They have built highly advanced A-Quadnoid A.I.’s which travel with them wherever they go.

    It is said that the Egrinots have a complete record of the history of the universe which few outside the Egrinot race have ever been allowed to see. No one knows how long Egrinots live for, not even the A-Quads. Historians guess that each one is over a thousand years old but again there is no proof. Egrinots have no visible features such as mouths, ears, noses, etc. They communicate telepathically with “voices” that are always soft and rarely emotional.


    PLAYABLE RACES:
    The following is brief description of the playable races. If you want more details just ask.


    Humans:
    Earth in this dimension is very similar to how we know it today. However, there are some differences. Technology is more advanced by at least 200 years, aliens are a known part of life and some even live on the Earth. Space travel is reserved for those in the Government or Space Program.

    Human life has been extended to 175 years via a serum taken every few months. Humans enjoy the benefits of cybernetics and alien dna splicing giving them rare and unique abilities, though such people are highly monitored for the safety of the planet.

    United Nations Space Program (UNSP): UNSP is a program made up of every nationality on Earth with the sole purpose of exploring the Galaxy and protecting earth from invaders.
    In terms of upgrades and tech its anything you can imagine for a futuristic world.
    Out of this program there are 3 main branches.
    -Jumpers: Army-Type personnel trained specifically for traveling to other planets for exploration. Their main use of travel is called a "torris" which allows them to open up a small wormhole to step through.
    -Anti-Alien Task Force (AATF): These are the ones on the station guarding the human representatives. As their name suggests they are trained for the sole purpose of defending earth from hostile aliens. As such they are equipped with weapons and training designed for maximum impact against non-humans.
    -Colonists: Self-explanatory. There are only two off-world colonies at the moment due to the fact they haven't received permission to build colonies on already habited planets.

    If your character is a soldier from Earth than he/she is either a personal bodyguard or with the AATF.

    POLITICAL STRUCTURE/COUNCIL DESIRES:
    Earth has enjoyed 200 years of peace between nations since the formation of UNSP and with peace, technology and space travel has become the sole focus of those with money. Earth wishes a formation of the council for trade and travel purposes. A unified Galaxy could lead to many benefits.

    SPECIES PERKS:
    -Renowned for their love of technology, humans are capable of using most any weapons or technology they come across. Even alien tech.

    -Humans have low physical defense but can use armor and energy shields.

    -Most Humans have high diplomacy skills.

    PREJUDICES:
    Humans are quite varied in their prejudices. Some like aliens and don’t mind the fact there are near a 400,000 currently on Earth. Others dislike them but will hire them to work in menial jobs for minimum wage.

    Others outright hate aliens and will often partake in killing them or enslaving them, believing humans are the dominant species.


    Aquizikans aka A-Quads:
    Humanoid with four arms, four eyes standing typically at around 9 feet. Their skin come in dull colors of gray, brown, tan and very rarely White. They live about as long as humans. Their home planet was nearly destroyed by the Egrinots on the day of the Star. Now the Egrinots keep the A-Quads like pets, using their strength to their advantage but caring for them in return. The A-quads race is simple with a small brain capacity. Most enjoy serving and being told what to do as they know nothing else. The more aggressive and/or intelligent ones will often leave Egrinot homeworld to become smugglers or fighters. A few wish to reinhabit their old homeworld but there are not enough advances to make that dream a reality as of yet.

    Plake: The A-quads’ former planet is dry and dusty. There are none alive who remember what their world was like. All they know is what have been passed down in simple stories.


    POLITICAL STRUCTURE/ COUNCIL DESIRES:
    While most A-quads are still simple creatures, only the most recent generation has evolved back to their original intelligence. Out of this generation, 350 A-quads have banded together to form the “Plake Electorate” dedicated to returning their people back to their homeworld. In order to do this however they require resources such as terra-forming technology or Terra-Domes which would allow them to live in an artificial atmosphere of their making. This technology is rare and expensive but the Electorate is hoping to trade their lesser advanced brethren in exchange.


    SPECIES PERKS:
    -A-quads are the strongest of all the species capable of lifting a car with ease.

    -Like Gillicks they also have thick damage resistant hides but not as much as the Gillicks. Some use armor or shields to supplement.

    -A-Quads are frustratingly slow, even in their speech, but they manage to keep up with groups due to their long legs.

    -A-quads are capable of using some weaponry and technology though with their strength minor enemies are often crushed in one-blow, that is if they can time their hits right.

    PREJUDICES:
    None. Most A-quads judge those around them by their character and not their species.
    There are, however, mixed feelings about the Egrinots. Some hate the Egrinots for the state their race is in and for “enslaving” them after the fact. Others have forgiven the Egrinots and believe that if it were not for their benevolent intervention The A-Quad race would have gone extinct thousands of years ago.


    Bastotian:
    Similar looks to this link but they can come in a variety of colors. http://cdn2.arkive.org/media/90/907...-fossa-prowling-on-deciduous-forest-floor.jpg

    Bastotians have lithe bodies with six appendages and a long tail. The back four work as legs, while the front two are arms. Their bodies can be like a centaur’s, with the chest sticking out of the hind end. However, they can adjust their spines so that they are completely horizontal like a cat with all six legs on the ground. This posture provides extra speed and the ability to scale trees easily. They prefer this position but some will adjust their spines when come into the contact with other races so as to make them seem less animal like. (The human’s mythology of Centaurs stems from their first contact with the Bastotians thousands of years ago.)

    Bastotians used to live to be around 200 years of age but due Bastos' Revenge, attacking their immune system and their life-sacs, it has lowered their lifespan to barely 50 years and has resulted in over half of the Felinites becoming sterile. Bastos' Revenge struck their people 10 years after first contact with other races almost 80 years ago.

    Bastotia: The Felinites planet is very similar to Earth’s, geography wise.

    POLITICAL STRUCTURE/ COUNCIL DESIRES:
    Since the beginning of their history they have been very solitary and devout worshipers of Bastos. But within the last century lost their culture of worship, becoming more interested in looking to the stars and what lay beyond their own tiny planet.

    Bastos’ priests claim the disease was contracted due to their people losing sight of Bastos and no longer being a devout race as they once were. In attempt to earn favor with Bastos and be healed, they closed their planet off to other races and with a Oligarchy (Lead by the priests) type leadership are trying to force their people back into devout worshipers.

    Recently more Progressive priests have recognized their need of the other races to cure this disease. Their hope is to exchange scientific advances and technology for a cure for their disease.

    SPECIES PERKS:
    -Bastotians are extremely fast, expert climbers and naturally stealthy.

    -Enhanced sense of hearing and touch.

    -They have long claws to help in a variety of predicaments including fighting.

    -Bastotians naturally don’t like to fight, preferring to use defensive technology or disarming tactics. Some have access to basic shields though none as advanced as a human's. Their bodies do not allow for armor or even clothes. (Who needs clothes when you’re covered in fur.)

    -All Bastotians have a basic knowledge of medicine, poisons and anatomy (for all species, not just themselves.)

    -Bastotians have a very unique aspect to their physiology. Each Bastotians is born with nine “life-sacs” in his/her body. (Thus the Human’s saying that “cats have 9 lives”) When near death (due to injuries), one of the Bastotian’s life-sac’s will burst flooding his/her body with adrenaline, blood, nutrients and quick healing cells bringing them back from the brink of death. Often the burst of adrenaline will allow them the opportunity to finish their fight or flee to a safe place before they must rest and allow the healing process to complete itself.

    PREJUDICES:
    Most Bastotians dislikes all species for the mere fact that they aren't under the rule of the great god Bast. Religion is the center of their society, as such any species that does not allow itself to be governed by Bast is considered inherently untrustworthy and evil, especially Gillicks who once hunted their ancestors for game and meat before the Day of the Star. The only exception to this are the Egrinots who have shown up like Angels in times of need.

    More progressive felinites don’t feel its right to enforce their beliefs upon the races and are willing to give them the benefit of doubt. Gillicks do not make it into this “benefit of doubt” for they have proven themselves over and over a violent and malicious race.


    Gillicks:
    Gillicks can live to be near 300 years old; if they aren't killed first. They stand around 7 to 8 feet with large bodies. The top of their heads are tear-drop shaped with the point extending from the back of their heads. (This formation is called a crest.) Their ears and pointed and their thick dark hides are completely covered in a nearly invisible layer of coarse hairs. On their backs are spines, thick and several inches long, acting like porcupine quills. There are often designs shaved into the spines to make each Gillick even more different.

    Gillick eyes are small and black, mainly used for dark areas. Their most discerning feature is their ability to remember every scent they’ve ever smelled. Glillick Elites can track a single smell across a planet. Glillick bounty hunters are notorious for their tracking skills and cruelty when catching up to a bounty. Gillicks have a minimal amount of technology. They prefer to rely on weapons such as swords or Axes. Gillicks capable of fighting with brute strength alone are considered more powerful than those who use weapons.

    Gillicks nap when they are tired, never sleeping or staying in the same place for more than a few hours at a time. This is due to the violent nature of their species. They believe strongly in the nature of strong preying on the weak and the weak or deformed being destroyed to make room for the strong.

    Among the Gillicks there is a small percent who are born completely white with eyes that see like a human, making them effectively blind in the dark. They are often much smaller and much weaker than the average Gillick but their unusual ability to foretell the future and to “speak for the gods” keeps the more powerful Gillicks from killing them. These Gillicks are known as “Pun” (pronounced poon), -The Voice of the Gods. They revered and feared in most clans and will often be included in the Clan Leader’s council. (The Pun are not a Playable Race.)

    There is only one time in the history of the Gillicks when all clans have worked together, when a giant creature attacked the planet. The giant bones still cover the planet and many Gillicks live within the hollows of those bones.

    Jurrivan: The Gillick planet is completely dark and very cold with only small moons reflecting their blue sun. Many of the plants glow, and are used as dim lights. There is no such thing as night and day. Off-worlders are allowed at their own risk. They like to hunt off-worlders as sport.


    POLITICAL STRUCTURE/ COUNCIL DESIRES:
    There is no single power over the entire planet, rather each clan governs itself, most with the sole purpose of becoming the most powerful clan on the planet. Currently there are 60 major clans (population in the hundreds of thousands) and 400 minor clans (population all under 200,000).

    Most Gillicks want nothing to do with space travel or the other races; aside from a few. One is the Two Moons Clan (5th largest of the 60 major clans) which is lead by one of strongest Gillicks on the planet. In a desire to defeat all the other clans he has come to the meeting with his top warriors and Pun, in the hopes he can establish a trade of natural resources for powerful and rare weapons.


    SPECIES PERKS:
    -Gillicks are a war race. As such they are physically quite powerful, though in terms of actual strength they are only 25% stronger than humans.

    -Their thick hides resist damage to a point and can equip light chest and leg armor only due to the sharp and dangerous spines on their backs.

    -Gillicks have an extremely heightened sense of smell and somewhat heightened sense of hearing.

    -While requiring protective eye-wear in the light they can see in the dark with ease.

    PREJUDICES:
    All Gillicks are raised with a “The weak die the strong survive and rule” mentality. Generally, Bastotians and Egrinots are considered a very weak race. Humans are considered pathetic since they’d be easily killed without their armor and technology. The Gillicks have some respect for the A-quads brute strength but as everyone knows only a small fraction of A-quads are actually smart enough to use that strength to their advantage.


    Want to create a unique alien and their world? Sure! Use your imagination.

    CHARACTER SHEET

    Name:

    Age: (If Human, at least 25)

    Gender:

    Species:

    Appearance:

    Position at the Council Meeting:

    Brief History:

    Brief Personality Description:

    Special Technology: (Each character is allowed one main weapon and two pieces of special equipment to begin with. Remember this is a futuristic world so it can be things like, shields, electric nets, exploding buttons, let your imagination go.)



    GAME RULES:

    Written by AnonyMouse

    Edited a bit by Me.

    Keep the Flow: Try to write at least a paragraph, that doesn’t include recapping a scene from a different perspective. If needed, copy/past in bold the scene the character is reacting to. Try and progress the scene. If a scene is not progressable (which may happen) feel free to make conversation with someone or write your character’s thoughts.

    Battles against minor npc’s won’t necessarily be determined by the GM. You get the write the scene how you feel it would play out realistically and I will moderate.

    No god moding! This is one of the cardinal sins of roleplaying. If you find yourself writing a post where your character does, alone, what would/should take an entire host of people, you're probably god moding (i.e. activating "god mode," granting yourself invincibility, power level 9000+, and utterly ruining everyone else's day). DON'T DO IT! Collaborate, team up, and tackle the issue as a group. Keep your limits in mind. In short, keep it real. (FYI, this doesn't only apply to battles. Characters who are good at everything or know everything or are just "too cool for the rest of us" are pretty much slipping into god territory. DON'T DO IT!)

    Read each post --the WHOLE post-- carefully. If something doesn't make sense, ask the poster what s/he was trying to say. Don't skim posts or assume things. Nothing derails a game faster than confused and muddled posting. If someone is repeatedly writing long, rambling posts that confuse the hell out of you, politely let them know. We're in this to become better writers.


    Work Together. Okay, this isn't exactly a "rule," more like a guideline. Not everything has to be done with multiple characters, but the game is more interesting when we're all involved. For example, don't have your soldier character heal someone if you know someone else's character is a medic and s/he is available to do so. Pay attention to other people's strengths/weaknesses and seek opportunities to take advantage of them.

    Please respect the tone of the game. There's nothing wrong with humor or the occasional non-sequitor, (and there will be plenty of times for that,) but ignoring or laughing off every threat we face destroys tension and makes the plot look like a joke. Please write realistically and, most importantly, in character.

    Don't control someone else's character(s) without permission. No one knows a character better than the writer who created him/her. Don't assume someone else's character will laugh at your character's jokes or grimace at your filthy comments; let the writer write his/her responses themselves. There are times when the GM may briefly take control of the entire group to move the story along, but that's because he's the GM and he's awesomer than you.

    Watch your language: If you must use curse words, don’t use any stronger than “damn and hell.” If the situation calls for a stronger word, (I.e. the S and F word) put it in asterisks and avoid using it 5 times in the same post. Personally, it takes away from the story.


    The GM's word is law. Period. But I also swear to do my best to be a good and fair GM and listen to what you have to offer.
     
  2. Kingtype

    Kingtype Banned Contributor

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    A IS FOOOOOOOOOOOR APPROVED!!
     
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  3. Love to Write

    Love to Write I'm a lover of writing. What else is to be said? Contributor

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    Dark Skies

    [​IMG]

    A young pun looked out the Gillick ship’s large tinted windows, her eyes locked on the beauty of the space around her. Bright stars, colorful planets and rapidly approaching was the Human Space Station Unity. The station orbited a red moon which orbited a reddish-brown planet in the distance. Despite the wonder and beauty of it all there was a feeling of dread in her gut that she could not dismiss.


    “Pun Favara?” A gruff voice drew her attention away from her thoughts. “Chief Grix wants you.”

    Favara nodded and stood, a white hand grabbing her bone-carved staff. Over her left shoulder and chest was draped a gold cape which drew one’s attention to the gold tattoos along her single visible arm and face. Unlike the Gillicks around her, her spines had been shaved as short as possible, another symbol of her position. She followed the Gillick servant and bowed upon seeing her Chief. He in turn jutted his sharp chin towards her, a sign of respect.

    “Any word from the Goddess?” He asked.

    “None, my Chief. But I feel a sense of dread as if something will happen.”

    The Chief grunted. “If we scurried away from an opportunity every time one of you Puns had a sense of dread we would get nowhere. We shall proceed.”

    Favara nodded and inclined her head again.

    “Land the ship, prepare the guard.” Chief Grix ordered. “Pun, raise your head. Lower your chin to no one here. All here should fear us.”


    A few minutes later and ship landed. The guards stepped out first followed by the Chief with Pun Favara close behind. “Welcome to Unity, Chief Grix, Lady Pun Favara.” A human escort said pleasantly. Her garb was a simple white with a green trim. A holographic badge on her shoulder proved that she was a registered Escort. “I am Trill and I’ll be your escort for the duration of your stay. If you’ll follow me, I’ll show you to your quarters.”

    “We won’t be needing them.” Grix replied gruffly. “My ship is more than adequate.”
    “Uh, very well, I’ll take you the Recreation Deck then. The other guests are still arriving.”

    “Stop talking and just take us.” Grix huffed impatiently.

    “Yes, of course.” Trill bowed anxiously. “Please, follow me.”

    ---

    “Alright, there's the station. Take us in Captain Claire.” Colonel Scorpion ordered.
    “Aye, Sir.” As Liberty guided the ship in Scorpion turned the people also on the ship with him. All but Inspector Alfred and Representative Klyne, were under his Command.

    “Alright people, listen up. As you've been briefed before there are three levels to this station. The first is the docking bay. The 2nd level is the Recreation Area, Kitchen, Dining Center and Guest Quarters. The third level is restricted for all but the Representatives, approved guests and protection details.

    There are no weapons allowed beyond the docking bay. Egrinot tech will detect any weapons and remove it from our person the moment we step through those doors. That means you will have to use every ounce of training you have if anything goes wrong. Follow my commands to the letter, protect the Representative and Inspector and all will be fine. If there is an incident retreat to the docking bay for further instructions.”

    Scorpion removed his gaze from the five other squad members and fixed his sights on Abathur. “And don’t think that just because you’re a hired hand that you can do anything you want either, Mr. Slazzar. Your job is stand in the back of the room and remain silent unless Representative Klyne asks for you. Understood?” Scorpion’s tone held a cruel bite to it. It was clear he didn’t like that they had a Gillick on their team.
     
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  4. Ishnorb

    Ishnorb Member

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    Thoughts raced about events leading to now, thoughts soared upon reaching the docking bay of Unity. Sneaking off the Bastotian Vessel, a ship which he was a stowaway on, proved to go rather painlessly. So far Scar had gone unnoticed. All ideas of past events melted away upon seeing where the Bastotian Vessel had brought him. Scar had never seen a place alike space station Unity. Though taking into consideration everything going on for him, a stone cold expression was all that was visible in his demeanor.

    Cautiously Scar advanced to the exit of the docking bay. Maybe answers could be discovered if he nonchalantly explored this space station. A look of faint shock briefly etched into his face upon stepping into a hallway. This hallway connected the docking bay to a lift, which would be the very same lift to take him to the next level or area within this space station.

    Shock didn't come from the hallway or the lift Scar spotted in the distance. Patting down his body, his trusted sword known as Metholic was no longer with him. A sigh of annoyance occurred, Scar was not keen on the idea of being weaponless. Although doubt existed that he would be the only one to endure this. Automatically he assumed anyone who passed through this hallway would encounter the same fate. Not very reassuring for him, but would have to do.

    Standing nearby the lift, Scar wondered how truly good of an idea it was to take it. Part of him wanted to backtrack and see if his weapon came back to him alike it was stolen. Mentally Scar presumed once returning to the docking bay, his faithful blade would be returned to him as well......
     
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  5. Kingtype

    Kingtype Banned Contributor

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    "Load a bollocks.” Henry muttered as watched the politicians and socialites alike from various planets begin to mingle. Was a bit ironic though, init? Henry thought to himself. Buncha big wig government types got together and decided ‘Hey time for a peace council! Least we could for sending you all to die on a foreign planets in the first place. Now he was stuck on a ship bigger then Gillick's arse; mopping up messes that he hadn't even made. He smirked to himself. That was the story of his life really, course perhaps he was bein’ overly cynical and all? It didn't help that nasty gazes from the military riff raft had been hammering into his soul since start of the voyage; had been quite awhile since he'd been round types of his own.

    Well not really his own.

    Most of em were AATF types or in short 'We got partially bald heads and we like smashin aliens with our fancy caveman clubs!'. Henry himself had been a damn Jumper.....that was good at breaking things.....and people but there was class to gig at least.

    Still.

    So many ugly looks from armed people made him shift slightly. Not to mention his gun was off, making im' feel more naked then the day he was born.

    Henry's gaze shifted from the floor to the alcoholic beverages being served and licked his lips. He'd kill to get pissed as a fart but paranoia was a great motivator to stay at least a little sober. Course with bootnecks like Scorpion running security; he'd have to be quick about making his move .....probably have to move before they did? Right? Attack first and kill em before they kill you. Henry shook his head. "Relax mate, they got better things to do then shootin a washed out old Jumper". He said, sides those days are done.He was an official military custodian now. Ye cheeky types might like callin' it janitor but once you get into the life distinguished types like Henry prefered custodian. He'd cleaned toilets, he'd clean vomit, he'd clean wine spills, he'd clean blood and mud. It was bloody wonderful. For Henry it had been mostly five years of doing just enough work to get by and not get canned. It also beat bein shot by a firing squad to, eh? Good job that it was though, really. It was easy to learn and impossible to master.

    Kinda like washin' good ol' aunt Jill's feet when she had the gout. Henry paused for a moment and shivered. His aunt's swollen slightly haired foot flashing in his head as a reminder of one of the manymanyreasons he'd left home and joined the army. But still he'd been washin' and cleanin' stuff since he could walk. Ya know? A scrub scrub here and a scrub scrub there. This ship would take hou-no probably days to really get every room sparkling. His had superiors had left em wif a mighty hefty job, ain't they?

    So many races of in one room. It was like being at the center of galaxy almost. Almost poetic, really? Watching em all rub shoulders and give uncomfortable smiles.

    Hey, you!” Ugh...the Station Manager...again. “Yeah, Mr. Turnbottom I’m talking to you! There’s a mess in the kitchen. Go take care of it! And don’t you dare start sampling foods again. Not all of them are made for humans. Hear me!?” Gardner barked.

    "Oi, just tryin' to enjoy the evening and all mate." Henry replied. "And it's Turnabolt by the way, like turnin a bolt. Get it?"

    "Whatever, Smartass. Just do your job." Gardner huffed and stormed off.

    Wasn't really trying to be a smartass. Henry sighed, the name is literally turnin a bolt but he simply nodded and did as he was told.

    ---

    “By Bastos’ whiskers I’m so glad you’re here!” A bastotian exclaimed bounding up to Henry. Around her “waist” was a white apron already covered in stains from the foods she was cooking. Her name, Tora of the Fields, was embroidered along the edge of the apron. The top of her furry head and ears were tucked under a plastic cap though whatever for was beyond him considering her entire body was covered in a light brown fur. “There’s been a horrible spill in the back corner there.” Tora explained frantically, gesturing to the left side with a paw. “I NEED to cook those soups pronto but I can’t do that with gardovian fish eggs all over the burners and floor. Please, move as quickly as you humans are able.” She said this more as a plea than an insult, as if her very life depended on the soups getting cooked.

    "Alroight, alroight." Henry said holding up his hands. "No need to panic, it ain't like they are gonna cook you if they ain't get a meal right away." He snorted. It wouldn't kill those rich types to wait a bit. Henry walked past her to the back towards the burners.

    Tora chortled and followed him. "Those Gillicks might. They used to, ya know. Hunted us Bastotians in the old days for sport and food." The Bast's hair stood on end. "Aye ya, shouldn't think of it. Just...thankyou. And be careful, if any of those eggs get crushed they'll leave an awful stain."

    "I'm used to awful stains." He said casually but stopped in his tracks at the sight of the burners. His nostril's flared slightly at the sour odor and eyebrows raised. Henry hadn't been exactly sure what kinda fish eggs she was talkin bout but whatever they were had left a nasty green mucus like slime everywhere.

    Smelled worse then his Aunt Jill's gout foot.

    "You bloody sure you didn't kill nufin back here?" He asked pulling a small remote control from his pocket and let Tora watch as he typed in a few lines of command. Not a second later two small disc shaped droids came out of a small vent like system in the wall and began to mop over the egg chunks.

    "Most of the food was already dead when we brought it here. Except for a few fish and specialty creatures. You see Gillicks and Aquads like this creature called Manoa but it becomes toxic within a few minutes of death so they have to eat it while its still alive. There are a few other things but I won't bore you." Tora's tail flicked back and forth as she watched the little droids, her eyes widening like a cat in attack mode. "Funny little creatures. I've never seen anything like those." She purred.

    "Not creatures." Henry corrected. "Robots and the like. Real primitive but they are like me babies, look at em go." He grinned. "Course babies don't really do a lot of cleanin-more the opposite actually. They do a damn fine job though."

    His eyes shifted down to Tora. "Not a fan, eh? Been awhile but I forget which you types isn't big on science and tech."

    "Fan? I am uncertain of what a fan is." Tora's ears twitched beneath the cap. "The Bastotians only use technology for medical advancements. Anything beyond that is considered against Bastos will and destroyed by the priests. Aside from the ships of course. Personally though, I wouldn't be able to cook half the things I do without the wonderful technology humans have. Your species really is quite brilliant."

    "Yeah." Henry said. "We are pretty brilliant when we want to be and all but we can be particular nasty buggers and such to stuff we want dead." He snorted. "Wouldn't be surprised if half this ship with filled with maniacs."

    "Undoubtedly." Tora laughed. "Wouldn't be much fun if there wasn't. I'd best leave you to your cleaning. Thanks for your help...eh, what be your name?"

    "Name's Bolt, love." He said. "Henry Turnabolt."
     
    Last edited: Feb 13, 2016
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  6. obi-sem kenobi

    obi-sem kenobi Senior Member

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    The hustle and bustle of the big city on this planet was truly like no other. It was not so much the size of the inhabitants, in perspective they all seemed quite normal, but the flow, the stream of people moving at that slow pace, that made it unique. Despite their rugged appearance, there was something gentle about these giants. Their faces were tranquil, almost happy, despite the slavish tasks most of them were performing. Even more so since the news came out a few weeks earlier that the Egrinots had allowed them to send their own delegation to the Unity Summit. Most of them weren’t really sure what it meant, but it sounded really important and they were glad that their masters put so much faith in them.

    Moving through the stream was one man, dressed in black with a long cape fluttering in the wind, making his way to the State Building, where the important decision was being made who was to go on this very important mission. This man did not look like the others. Everyone moved ever so slightly out of the way when he came near. It was not because of his clothing, or the weapon on his hip, or even the very noticeable scar across his face. It was the look in his eyes. The way he walked. His back straight, his head held high. There were whispers in the crowd as he passed. “A smart one,” they said.

    It had been a while since he last walked on the surface of his homeworld, among his own people. Very little had changed.

    He walked up to the door. There were no guards. No locks. He went inside. The waiting hall was beautifully adorned. Pillars were engraved with the most beautiful sculptures of flowers and trees. Walls, adorned with great tapestries, all depicting the graceful presence of the Egrinot caring for the Aquizikan in need. Tables and chairs made of gold-covered wood seemed to be sprouting from the ground. His people might be big and slow, but they weren’t clumsy. And they took pride in their work.

    There was a sole administrator behind the counter, looking at him in great amazement. People did not just walk in here. Especially not now. Everybody knew of the meeting taking place inside. “Sir?” The man sat down in one of the chairs. “I’ll wait.” he said.

    The doors to the main room opened wide and a group of people came out looking happy. Three of them were smart ones. They walked up front. When they stepped into the waiting hall, the man rose and walked up to them. The other people looked amazed. “You need security. You need me.” he said. One of the smart ones stepped forward and looked the man in the eyes. “Why?” he asked. Then the man lifted one of his hands and followed the scar across his face with a finger. “Other races, not always friendly.” The other smart one looked at him for a long time. “Who are you?” he asked. “Raz.” the man answered. “Raz,” the other smart one said after a small pause, “You come too.”

    ------------

    The Aquizikans are not a particularly space faring race, but the Egrinots helped them build a cruiser for the specific purpose of bringing the delegation to the Summit. Although it was designed for interstellar flight, it didn’t seem very big on the outside. Only a handful of people would be using it after all. The Aquizikans are a simple people with simple needs, so there was no need for a large recreational area.

    The hull was made from silverroot, a living metal that grew in abundance on their planet. It was strong, durable and healed itself over time. The strong vines grew over the initial metal framework and covered it whole in a matter of days. The Egrinots provided a shield generator that would ensure protection from any pirates looking for an easy prey. The ship itself was unarmed, but they would be escorted by a small group of Egrinot fighters. The interior was divided into four main rooms: the cockpit which also functioned as a mission room, the engine room and two large bedrooms, all connected by great corridors with high ceilings. One of the corridors widened into a circle between the two bedrooms and was furnished with a couch, a table and a few chairs.

    Although the lay-out was simple, many Aquizikan artisans had adorned the walls and ceilings with warm colours and subtle markings following the lines in the vines of the living metal. The whole ship was like a monument to the Aquizikan people. The combination of nature and technology seamlessly blended into each other with an artful craft and rugged beauty. This was a great day for their people, and everyone did their best to make it as close to perfect as possible.

    -----------

    Raz stared out of the cockpit window. This was necessary. It was in order to protect the interests of his people. But it didn’t suit him very well. His ship was following closely, just behind radar range. Right now, that’s where he wanted to be. I have become attached to my crew, he thought. That is good.

    So far the journey had been uneventful and it was already nearing its end. Most pirates had been warned that this ship was under Captain Lin’s protection and those who weren’t turned tail the moment they saw the Egrinot fighters.

    Raz always preferred the view of open space over that of a space station, but when the Unity came into view, he couldn’t help but be impressed. The design was simple enough, a multi-layered disc with docking bridges poking out underneath, but the desert planet near the moon that controlled it’s orbit reflected it’s rusty hue onto the outside of the station. It was recently renovated to accommodate the different species, but the red-brown glow gave it something almost archaic.

    Representative Mel approached Captain Raz as he steered the ship towards the Station. "Is new day for our people, Raz." Mel says in the slow A-quad fashion. "Soon, many go home."
    “Home is where you wish it to be. I long not for an old world, but rejoice for those who do.” Like most A-quads, Raz did not talk much. However, some things could only be made clear with the right words. Or maybe he just spent too much time with other species that placed such great value upon them.

    "So feel many of us. But, I long for old world." Mel sits in the co-pilot seat, remaining silent for a long time. "Raz, do you agree with Electorate decision?" The Electorate decision Mel referred to was their choice to exchange their lesser advanced brethren into the slavery of other races in exchange for the technology that could allow the "Smart Ones" to live free on their own home-world. It was a great debate among many, but no one had brought up a better solution.
    Raz looked away, out of the window. "No." He said. He looked a little longer, then turned towards Mel again. "The Egrinots provide. Our brothers happy. I have met other races. Not all are as kind."
    Representative Mel slowly nodded. "I hope we may exchange with kind race. Bastotians maybe." Mel made a sound like a deep purr. "Little choice. Smart ones need home...others not know better."
    Raz did not like this train of thought. Men like Mel had spent so much time among a people that worshiped them, that they started to believe themselves superior. “Others are content with simple life. Find happiness in service. We desire what we don’t have. Worry all day.” He looked Mel straight in the eyes and added: “Are we really the smart ones?”
    Mel blinked. "Yes."

    -----------------

    The ship landed and the two Aquizikans stepped from the ship.

    “Representative Mel, Captain Raz. Welcome to the Unity.” An older male escort said with an incline of his head as the two squads stepped off their ship, two other smaller servant A-quads directly behind them. He had to crane his neck in order to look up at the much taller aliens. “I am Escort Jacobson. Your quarters are ready to your specifications. I can take you and your luggage there then show you around the stations while we wait for the other Representatives to arrive.”
     
  7. halisme

    halisme Contributor Contributor

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    Abathur's quarters were almost completely dark, only single flickering light sat atop a strange structure was visible. It was an incense of sorts, filling the room with the smell of clay and fresh steel and nature. Beneath it was a chair, far too small for the Gillick occupant and so he'd found this use for it.

    It was old, made of oak and aged for many years that made Abathur question why it was there, but he was glad for it. He'd carves a few runes into the legs, as the voices described, and then finished the altar with his helmet and the the small piece of scented wax.

    "I am strong. The gods are strong. Those who claim to bridge the gap are weak. This is a falsity. A heresy. May my lords and ladies grant me aid, so that I might destroy the false connection, and return the truth to heart of all Gillicks."

    He put the candle out with two finger before grabbing his helm, lowering the bone over his crest before pressing a button that lowered the lenses. Humans, need so much light to see. Almost as bad as the Pun.

    He picked up a tattered piece of hide, placing it over and around his chest before attaching his shoulder mounted tool. It was heavy, but a good weight, that reminded the old man of a time when he was much more spry. After that was his shield, a small box that he quickly set to hair trigger attached to his right arm, while his trident was attached to his back.

    He then joined the humans, who were waiting near the airlock, one them was saying something that half caught, only a few lines being of interest to him.

    "Your job is stand in the back of the room and remain silent unless Representative Klyne asks for you. Understood?”

    "Understood, poison tail." He replied, having changed the man's name from Scorpion to the new term upon their first meeting. "Though they shall not take Nhana from me. They may take the battery if they wish, but not my tool."
     
  8. AnonyMouse

    AnonyMouse Contributor Contributor

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    Very few people could fully comprehend the technological superiority of the Inari. They kept to themselves, living on their tiny planet, guarded from outsiders, spoken of only in whispered rumors. They called themselves the ‘Inari Empire’ but had only colonized a handful of worlds, all within their home system. The universe was endlessly massive, yet the Inari never left their own backyard, despite being one of the first races to master space travel.

    Instead, they filled their colonies with AI-infused automatons. These Tailless Ones --or Tsubaels in the Inari language-- could probably be considered an alien race in their own right, like a subspecies of the Inari. They are mass-produced, highly intelligent, and incredibly loyal companions, built to be the spitting image of their creators.

    Naturally, the Inari representative wouldn’t dare travel all the way to Unity Station without at least half a dozen of them by her side.

    QT-00-99 had served the Rhyssa clan for nearly a hundred years. She was like a member of the family and was given the distinguished honor of escorting Vitalia to Unity Station. She now stood on the flight deck of the Amaterasu IX, flagship of House Rhyssa.

    It was a medium-sized ship, originally built as a luxury space yacht, but had been retrofitted with advanced hyperspace technology, making it one of the fastest and most precise ships in the world. The Amaterasu could drop out of hyperpace and land on a dime, then be gone again in seconds. The Defense Ministry demanded the ship be outfitted with weapons as well, hidden beneath its sleek white shell, despite Vitalia’s protests that the Amaterasu remain unarmed.

    “Four-Two, please contact the Station and request docking permission,” QT99 said, placing a metal hand on VS-00-42’s shoulder.

    “This one does not understand. We are still in hyperspace,” VS42 said, with a gesture to the ship’s view screen. Stars zipped by like neon lights, leaving multicolored trails as they traveled through a tunnel of rainbows. “Query: will the primitive human communications devices be able to receive a message broadcast from a ship traveling at 1,000,000 times the speed of light?”

    “This one agrees with Four-Two’s assessment,” Tsubael XR-00-77 remarked. “By my calculations, we will overrun the message and arrive at Unity Station 33.47 seconds before it was sent.”

    “Political-correctness advisory: please refrain from referring to the humans as ‘primitive,’” QT99 said. She reached over VS42’s shoulder and adjusted the controls on the ship’s communications console. “This one has modulated the Amaterasu’s quantum tunneling frequencies, such that the broadcast message will ride the ship’s subspace bow wake, thus arriving before we do. Performance assessment: you should have known this, Four-Two. Now, please contact Unity Station.”

    “But, wait,” Seven–Seven said. “Query: if the message is riding the ship’s subspace bow wake, the message will arrive at the same time as the ship. This does not solve the problem.”

    QT99 sighed. If her blank metal face were capable of showing emotion, she would be showing disappointment right now. “Query: do you even quantum mechanics?’

    “This one does not understand the query,” XR77 said. “Please reformulate and resubmit the query.”

    “It is a human expression,” Nine-Nine said. “The humans like to say ‘do you even [blank]’ with ‘blank’ being a particular skill or area of expertise, sometimes followed by ‘bro’ for added emphasis. The query is purely rhetorical. By saying ‘do you even quantum mechanics’ this one is implying that you lack a basic understanding of quantum mechanics, which is why you cannot comprehend why the message will arrive before the ship.”

    “Cynical query: would you be so kind as to give us a hint, oh wise one?” VS42 said.

    “Sarcasm. Another human expression,” Nine-Nine said. “Well done, Four-Two.”

    “This one believes Nine-Nine takes delight in creating paradoxes,” Seven-Seven said. “She wishes to break the spacetime continuum.”

    “One does not merely ‘break’ the spacetime continuum,” QT99 said. “This one is merely repeating the teachings of our master. Vita taught this one that the hyperspace density is greatest at the bow. As velocity increases, this density trends toward infinity. Anything --be it a message, a weapon, or even the ship itself-- can be imbedded into the bow wake, exponentially increasing its rate of travel.”

    “Very well done,” Vitalia said with a small applause as she stepped onto the flight deck. The three Tsubaels quickly stood at attention. She gestured for them to have a seat and turned to QT99. “You’ve missed some of the finer details, but a very excellent explanation nonetheless. Most people require years of study to begin to grasp the basic concept.”

    “Thank you, master,” QT99 said. “I have learned from the best.”

    “Hardly,” Vitalia said, bowing her head. “But I am humbled to hear you say so.” A fourth android, YT-01-32 was behind her, carefully binding her nine tails with ribbon, in the fashion of Inari dignitaries and royalty.

    “Done, master,” One-Three-Two said when the last knot was completed. “Shall I brush you fur again? Whiten your teeth? Trim your claws? Proofread your speech?”

    “No, you’ve done an excellent job, thank you,” Vita said. After a pause, she frowned. “And I still haven’t finished my speech. Oh, what am I going to say…”

    “Why bother? These savages won’t appreciate any of it,” XR77 said.

    “Hostility detected,” VS42 remarked. She pulled back on the ship’s throttle and there was a dull hum from somewhere deep in the Amaterasu’s guts as the hyperspace envelope expanded out of its compressed state. A millisecond later, the white Inari ship appeared within feet of Unity Station, so close it felt as if they could reach through the viewport and touch the station’s hull.

    For any other ship, it would have been suicide to drop out of hyperspace so close to another object, but the Amaterasu was no ordinary ship. Or maybe Four-Two was just a really good pilot. It was a rather bold entrance, for a species known for timidity.

    “We’re here,” VS42 said calmly as the ship’s glowing thrusters faded away and she glided to the nearest docking port. “This one has always wanted to… what is the human expression for flying so fast and so close to something, you scare the tiny people inside?”

    “Terrorism?” XR77 said.

    Vitalia sighed.

    While the other Tsubaels teased one another, QT99 leaned closer to her master and friend and whispered into her ear. “Vita, are you ready for this?” she asked as the docking seals fastened onto the Amaterasu’s hulls.

    “No,” Vita said.

    Nine-Nine nodded. “That is good. Pride has been the downfall of many. This one believes you will do well.”
     
    Last edited: Feb 13, 2016
  9. Kingtype

    Kingtype Banned Contributor

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    Raz, Henry and The Story of Freak-Sexy

    Henry had finished mopping at the egg within five and left Tora to her cooking. She was a cute little rodent, wasn’t she? They'd make a neat kids pet if they hadn’t been such fanatical twats. Lord Batos this and don’t use technology that. It’s a bleeding wonder how those little things breed? Henry figured had to be a lot like being Amish or Mormon.

    But not the New Age-Outlaw Mormon Church.

    Old style Mormons.

    He walked along in silence for awhile, getting away from the loud madness of the more crowded sections of the ship. To many people. Henry rounded another corner before finally coming to a halt; his fingers twitched almost instantly to his side but sighed once he realized he was weaponless.

    Bugger all.

    Not five feet away from him stood an A-Quad. Tall-very tall even for one of his type, grey skin and arms like a jungle gym. But Henry's focus went to the alien's scarred face and took note of his outfit for a brief moment before he raised a curious eyebrow.

    "Oi, you famous by any chance mate?" Henry asked. "Apologies if not but you look a bit familiar, wif that that face you got and all."

    ---
    Raz looked down at the man that came dangerously close to recognising him. It was bound to happen sooner or later, but Raz preferred later.
    “I am Raz.” He said, hoping his look would explain the rest. “You?”

    "Name's Henry." He responded. "Sorry for the mistake mate. I thought you was that famous A-quad captain fella."

    Mel and the guide did not seem interested at first, but now their curiosty was peaked. Raz rubbed his chin with his upper left hand. "I doubt Captain Lin is welcome here." There was something about this man. He had seen battle. He had seen death. Henry. "Are you famous?"

    He gave a small smirk."Did some things I ain't to proud of here and there in me army days. Not to well liked for em either." He shoved his hands in his pocket. "I'm sure you heard a Henry Turnabolt, Jumpers and all and that whole debacle at Omega Pass?"

    "Turnabolt. Yes. I know that name. Nasty legend. Makes me curious for real man." The older guide Jacobson had heard of both of those names and did not doubt they were both represented in this corridor. He had met his share of famous people and recognised a clash between titans when he saw one. On the surface it was two people making conversation, representative Mel seemed to think it no more, but there was a strong tension brewing between the two.
    Raz knew that if this man was to be an ally, he could turn a tide of battle and if he was an enemy, he would be a formidable opponent.

    "Yeah, yeah but that's who I used to be and all." Henry replied quickly rubbing the back of his neck. "I got no quarrel with you A-Quads types no more now that I'm a custodian. I actually shagged one of your kind once, an utter slag she was but she knew how to use them arms." He chuckled.

    "I see." A phrase Raz had learned from one of his human crewmembers. Although seemingly meaningless in content, it was very useful to cover up a somewhat inappropriate remark from others. Raz reached out with his lower right arm. "Pleased to meet you, Henry Turnabolt."

    Henry took it and shook. "Yeah, the ladies used to call me Freak-Sexy in me twenties." He gave a jovial grin. "Speaking of ladies, saw this peach of a gal that I'm hoping to be on the pull for. A bit odd looking she is like a fox or somethin. Pretty creepy but I do love a tall woman, me mum says I get that from me dear Uncle Oswald. His ex-wife, me aunt Bernice was almost seven foot."

    Raz smiled back. "Few women taller than me." He replied. "I must leave now. To Recreational Area. Until later, Turnabolt."

    ---

    Henry snorted as the alien departed; what an odd duck he was. Now things were shaking up to be interesting......was that who he thought it was and chap was lying or perhaps it really just some nobody. But still least some things were cooking up. Henry could feel the gears in his brain turn and rub against one another.

    Fibbin A-Quads? Tall foxy women? Oi, had been a chore of a night and he was getting the strange feeling that toilet smelling eggs wouldn't be the only thing he'd cleanin tonight.
     
  10. Love to Write

    Love to Write I'm a lover of writing. What else is to be said? Contributor

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    "Understood, poison tail." Abathur replied, having changed the man's name from Scorpion to the new term upon their first meeting. "Though they shall not take Nhana from me. They may take the battery if they wish, but not my tool."

    "They'll take whatever they think a threat." Scorpion scoffed. Inwardly he was counting how many hours were left that he had to spend with these infuriating aliens.

    The AATF ship landed, one of the last to do so. As they exited the ship, three escorts stood waiting for them. One for Abathur, one for the Representative and one for the Inspector. As the escorts greeted those they'd be attending too, Scorpion took Captain Claire's arm and led her off to the side, away from the rest of the group. "Captain, I know you were planning on staying with the ship, but I'd like you to keep an eye on our Gillick friend as much as you are able. Would you be willing to do that?"

    ---
    A 6ft tall male moved to stand in front of Abathur. "You must be the Representative's Cultural Assistant." The Escort said, raising an eyebrow suspiciously at Abathur. "I am Garret. I'll be your Escort for the duration of the stay. I can take you and your luggage to your quarters then you can meet back up with your party in the Recreation area. I am required to inform you that if you have any needs, I will do my best to serve them."
    ---

    "Inspector, Sir." A young red-head saluted Alfred. "I'm Mina and I'll be your escort for the summit. Should you need anything, anything at all you need only ask. Would you like me to take you to your quarters? Or I can take you directly to the Recreation Room and have someone take your luggage. What ever you want Sir, your wants are my command." Mina saluted awkwardly then waited patiently for Alfred's response.
     
  11. Arvak

    Arvak Member

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    Alfred dusted off his coat as the AATF shuttle docked with the station. So far the AATF forces seemed...adequate, at least. By his standard they were a little on the frail side, especially with with the Egrinots taking all weapons, a move he was sure was meant to put them at a disadvantage. As far as he was concerned the AATF was useless in the station if, no when, this went south, and he was sure that something would happen, these things never go smoothly.

    As for the others, The commander of the AATF, this 'Scorpion', seemed capable, he reminded Reed of Erik a little bit . The mysterious background would make him suspicious but Reed really didn't care, he was here to assess his skill not his person and for now it didn't matter. The representative was...well, the representative, but the Gillick, Abathur, he was suppose to be a 'cultural assistant' though, while he did know the culture, he seemed to be against it, or at least some part of it, perhaps that could be useful.

    Stepping off the shuttle with the rest he was greeted by his escort, Mina. Strangely, he found her slighlty amusing. "perhaps to my quarters first, lead the way" he clasped his hands behind his back and stood somewhat formally as the walked. looking her over as they walked he asked "you're not with the AATF, are you? representative staff?"
     
  12. lixAxil

    lixAxil Self-Proclaimed Senator of the RPG subforum. Contributor

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    "Yeah, yeah I know, I know…” Said Taldrum lazily.

    Each morning, it was his job to check the performance of several devices within the station included the shield generators. However, there were many others who could do it, hence Taldrum’s eyes were traveling through the screen of a big TV placed within the facilities, changing channels, looking for nothing but just killing time, due to his job, Taldrum knew the times in which certain areas were empty, he would often cycle according to the schedules, sometimes showing up in his current area of work just to pretend he was doing his job correctly.

    His eyes would find his own mirrored body after he turned off the device. The black screen of the TV showed a mid tall boy dressed completely in a gray uniform, which he particularly hated.

    "Nothing, I guess I'll grab something to eat" mumbled as he stood up.

    “You’re being incredible annoying today, you know?” Exclaimed in response to a question that no one seemingly asked.

    But he knew who had asked it. Were to had been somebody else in the room, Taldrum would had noticed his hidden glances and disbelief’s expression. He was used to it already, after all, no one but Taldrum knows about Aramaki’s existence.

    “Nothing happens, I tell you. They’ll stay here for a season then will leave, we just have to be a bit more careful, that’s all”

    “Mmm, certainly you’re right, they could bring some valuables with them”

    “Ouch! Stop that, I wasn’t considering to steal them…” Said while waving his arms, defending himself against the empty space, a bizarre scene to anyone but him.

    "Uh, uh...Mr. Taldrum?" A maid of about 18 came around the corner with a datapad in her hand. Eva was new and as such was mostly sent on message errand. "M...Mr. Gardner um, asked that you would, I quote 'stop talking to yourself in the corner and get your'...um a bad word...'to the Rec Room and finish cleaning before the guests go up there. Or...' Well, the "or" part isn't very nice...so that's it." Eva shifted awkwardly on her heels, clearly shy about delivering such an "intense" message.

    Taldrum's body suddenly froze in place while cold sweat traveled down his body. Exactly how many time had that girl been there? Did she noticed he was slacking off?
    His body slowly turned to face the maid while feigning a confident smile.

    "Cleaning? Isn't that Henry's job, I'm a technician, not a janitor..." Said with a stern tone.

    "Ouch!" Exclaimed as his body twisted seemingly hit by an unknown force.

    "I wasn't being rude!!!" He exclaimed to the empty air.

    Eva seemed to shrink behind her datapad, her eyes widening slightly at the scene. "Um, Mr. Taldrum...sir...there's...there's no one there." She almost whispered.

    "Hahaha, that look in your face is pitiful, what is it? You liked the girl? Hahaha" Laughed Taldrum, still talking with the air.

    The maid looked at him more dumbfounded than before, yet for Taldrum that was something he was already used to.

    "Oh don't worry, he is Aramaki, my friend" Said while pointing at the empty air.

    "Is a long story, and trust me you don't wanna hear it, but Aramaki is not visible to the eyes of commoners, yet he is here, I'm serious."

    "Oh, I see, well...I, um. I need to get going." Eva bowed slightly and hurried off.

    ....

    "Oh c'mon, I didn't scare her, you're just too creepy. Anyway, better go to the recreative area and be done with this.."
     
  13. Fan7asticMrFox

    Fan7asticMrFox Contributor Contributor

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    Fascinating. Simply fascinating.

    Khan kept his head down as he worked, while his personal assistant stood next to him taking details down on a datapad. "Seresa, take a note of the cerebral nerves," He said, "They seem to link to almost every point on the subject innards, with a particular focus to the main arteries." She tapped on the datapad and he continued his autopsy, making incisions in the subject on his work table, it's lifeless body ripped open and smelling foul. The machinery that surrounded buzzed methodically in the darkness; The entirety of the operating theatre enveloped in black save for the table.

    Khan would get his answers from this Inari. With only twenty four hours since its death, this was by far the freshest one of their species he had ever analysed, and time was an important factor when it came to studying their complex immune system.

    "Seresa, note that the subject's monotoid gland seems to be secreting some sort of fluid. Its main build up is found at the connection with the cerebral nerve. My assumption is that the fluid is adrenaline, but will take a sample to test." He took out a pistol like tool with his bloodied gloves and sucked the fluid into a connected test tube.

    The Inari on the table was fairly ragged, judging by its tattered fur on the outside and the lesion spots on the lungs and heart within. A part of Khan was disappointed with what the Aldari Collective had supplied. When they had told him that through their efforts they had secured a body, Khan gleamed at the thought of a specimen with seven or more tails, highlighting its superiority. But this particular creature had two... and a half.

    Well waste not want. I mean a dead Inari is better than a living one, he chuckled to himself. Although, a live one to test on would speed up his progress phenomenally. Khan stopped for a moment and lifted his head, turning his eyes to his assistant. "What's the quarter looking like at the moment? I'm keen to move some budget into an extraction of a live Inari specimen."

    "That's far too costly," Seresa started, her head down as she tapped away at the datapad, "Expenditure on this creature alone has blown the Q3 pla-"

    "But you must remember, this was covered by the blueprint sales of the Deralos serum. We even received a surplus to our expectation..."

    "Which Hendricks department swallowed." She said, her mousy face shining in ominous blue from the datapad.

    "Those were my funds." Khan said with a snarl. "He seems to have quickly forgotten the support we gave him on the Arcanim project. Set up a meeting with him and Briggs, I want this ironed out." Khan went to continue the autopsy, but stopped with one final thought, "And tender out some black ops contracts for the live Inari capture. Speculative of course, but it doesn't hurt for us to be prepared."

    "Of course Sir."

    ***​

    Knowingly walking into a trap was so very foolish. It was pride that put Khan in this position, pride that now meant he was on his way to the human space station Unity to show off his work to the council. His claws tapped rhythmically on the leather arm of his cockpit chair, his eyes lost in space as light years whizzed by, the mind at work calculating thousands of possible scenarios.

    How were the High Priests going to rid the galaxy of me this time... an attempt behind closed doors? A public act of "terrorism" by the Children of Liberty? Blackmailed arrest? Or most dangerously, something new? He shuddered at the thought that they had actually been smart this time, his claws digging tightly into the leather arm.

    I have a few tricks up my sleeve still, he thought to himself. Pride may have got him here, but that same pride gave him some immunity. His outspoken nature and strides in research towards a cure for Bastos Revenge had given Khan a cult status among the Bastotians, the true people of his race. Not these heretic High Priests. If they tried an assassination attempt they would create a martyr.

    "Sir, we are here." Seresa stepped in front of him.

    "Hmph?" Khan could not contain his disgust in her disruption of his thoughts, but quickly remembered himself. "Yes, good. The security detail will come with me, I need you to stay with the ship."

    "Yes Sir."

    "Make the conference call with Hendricks and Briggs, I want that resolved before I return. I expect to be back in three hours. Understood?"

    "Yes Sir."

    Khan and his four human security detail made their way to the recreation area of the Unity, each of the guards dressed in a threatening black, wearing thick adamantite armour and helmets that covered their entire faces. Their standard plasma rifles were missing due to the galactic security laws the AATF were trying to enforce - which Khan vehemently argued against at the check in - and so instead they carried stun batons to continue their protection. The squad marched in a square around Khan while he strode with purpose, only turning his gaze to smile at the Bastotians that supported him with such fanaticism.

    "There he is!"

    "Rataj, you hold the key!"

    "The Gods have failed us, but you will not Khan!"

    In awe of Rataj Khan, their soon to be saviour of Bastos Revenge, some made attempts to approach him... only to be aggressively knocked to the floor by his protection. Khan didn't even give them a second glance, instead continuing to smile and nod to the others he past.

    And finally they made it to the recreation area, where the majority of the rabble were not allowed access. The troop marched to a windowed corner where Khan could gaze outside into the stars and continue working in peace before the summit. He set to work straight away on his datapad, while his security detail set up a perimeter around him to keep anyone out.
     
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  14. AnonyMouse

    AnonyMouse Contributor Contributor

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    Vitalia cautiously stepped across the threshold from the Amaterasu into Unity Station. That small step seemed like such a minor thing, but she was now farther from Khaliya than any Inari had been in, oh, about 3500 years or so. No big deal, right?

    Fortunately, she was able to suppress her digestive tract and deaden the nerve endings in her skin, otherwise she'd have butterflies in her stomach and her fur would be standing on end right now. She once read somewhere that humans suffered similar symptoms when they were nervous. Great, we have something in common.

    One such human was already approaching her, though this one didn't appear to be afraid. Vitalia straightened and tried to look dignified. She was already about two heads taller than the approaching woman. Vitalia changed her mind and chose to slouch a little instead, so as not to look intimidating.

    “Representitive N’Rhyssa Vitalia?” A female in her 30’s asked. She wore an Earth Military uniform. “I’m Lieutenant Reese. I’ll be your escort and bodyguard for the duration of your stay. You had a good trip, I hope?”

    "Y-yes, very good trip," Vitalia said, nodding vigorously. Her voice was little more than a whisper, a slight melodious accent teasing at each word. Her lips did not move; the words came from a metal collar around her neck. She smiled at the woman... but this made it look as if she was baring her fangs. Vitalia quickly stopped smiling... which made her look sort of like a sad puppy instead. She just couldn't win.

    Meanwhile, her OmniSphere switched from orbiting Vita, to orbiting Lieutenant Reese, as if it was scanning her from every angle. After a few seconds, it chirped twice and went back to hovering over Vita's shoulder, as if it had decided the woman was no threat... or a threat easily dealt with.

    The Lieutenant eyed the sphere with a cautious look. "Your rebotic escort likely won't make it through the Egrinot defenses, but that's what I'm here for. I swear to protect you with my life and might I say...I'm a very big fan of your species. Studied the Inari in Xenology. Your race really is quite fascinating."

    "Umm... thank you...?" Vita said. She wasn't sure why she phrased it as a question. It felt as if all of her speech lessons had gone out the window. "You have not heard anything... umm... anything bad, no?"

    "Bad? Your race is too secretive to know if they are good or bad yet." Reese laughed as she guided Vita towards the 2nd level. Surprisingly, her orb made it through the security measures with ease. "I know the Inari are advanced and seclusive. So much so they didn't get involved with that galactic war 3,000 years ago. If...if you don't mind, I would love to ask some questions about your race, but I completely understand if you don't wish to talk or if you are too busy being a representative and all."

    As they went deeper into the station, Vita's OmniSphere chirped again and its holographic projector activated, revealing a flashing red line of scrolling text and error codes. Vita was too busy listening to the woman to read all of it. She only caught small snippets. It said something about 'weapons systems lockout,' 'targeting systems offline,' 'combat protocols missing from system subroutines,' 'primary user override,' etcetera, etcetera.

    "I would be honored," Vita said, beginning to feel marginally more comfortable around the woman. "There are many things we wish to understand as well."

    "Perfect! I can answer your questions and you can answer mine. Ah, here we are. Your quarters for your stay." Lt. Reese gestured to a small, yet well furbished room. It was decorated in colors of red and gold. On the table was a selection of fruits, nuts and other treats that Inari were able to eat. The bed was made as close to Inari specifications as possible as were the chairs so that there was plenty of room for her many tails. "They are adequate I hope, Ms. Vitalia?"

    Vita cautiously stepped into the room, looking all around at everything. She ran her paws along the bedsheets, the couch cushions, and even knelt to prod the carpeting. Textures meant a lot to the Inari. Their culture was very luxurious, due to the belief that comfort expanded consciousness. Anything that helped them think more clearly was a good thing and nothing freed one's mind quite like lounging on a cloud.

    In truth, maybe they were just lazy foxes who liked lying around on soft stuff all day.

    Which is exactly what Vita almost did. She spread out on the floor and stayed that way for, oh a minute or ten, nuzzling her snout into the freshly-steamed carpet and making little purring noises before she realized the woman was still standing there.

    "Oh... I... ummm... sorry," she stood and straightened her waistcoat and skirt before giving Reese a sheepish look. "It is... satisfactory."

    Lt. Reese grinned. "Good. Let me show you to the Recreation room."
     
  15. Arvak

    Arvak Member

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    "You're not with the AATF, are you? Representative staff?"

    "No, Sir. Not with any military at all. I was hired by the United States government to help out at the summit as Staff. My qualifications allowed me to serve the Representatives and their company." Mina used her badge to unlock Alfred's quarters and handed him a key card for personal use. As he inspected the quality quarters he heard Mina ask, "If...if you don't mind me asking, Sir. You didn't show as part of the Representative's staff, nor do you seem to be part of the AATF. Are you an independent party?"

    "I see." chuckling at the mention of the United states, Alfred took the offered keycard and stepped into the room, taking a moment to glance around before turning back to face Mina and answer her question. "I'm not with the representatives or the AATF, no, but i am with the Military. I'm here to ensure things go smoothly and any problems are being dealt with efficiently" he said it as if he was reciting it from a prompt, and after he did much of the formality dropped from his posture and he crossed his arms "though something tells me it's going to be tiring" he said almost to himself.

    "Well I certainly hope things go smoothly." Mina bowed slightly. "Shall I take you to the Recreation area now?"

    "Hmm, well, here's to hoping" with a sigh Reed regained a formal composure "To Recreation then, lead the way"
     
  16. halisme

    halisme Contributor Contributor

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    "I can take you and your luggage to your quarters then you can meet back up with your party in the Recreation area. I am required to inform you that if you have any needs, I will do my best to serve them."

    "I have no luggage, though you shall provide me with a means of keeping my tool in the talks. It is for, religious purposes." He stated, not lying yet not quite telling the truth either, for a true Gillick should never abandon their weapon. The voices had spoken to him long ago, and many a time after that. They'd been silent for some time now though, meaning he was on the right path. If he ever left it, the gods would direct himself to the righteous way. They had told him when to return to his home, spreading the true nature and siring a large brood, and when to leave, so that they others might continue the hunt more efficiently. Now, they had told them to be here. On the cusp of change. Ready to bring about revolution in the twilight of his years.

    "And you shall show me to the Gillick representative's quarters. I must discuss something with him."
     
  17. JessWrite

    JessWrite Word Nerd & Proud! Contributor

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    Their voyage was over far too soon for Liberty's liking. She preferred her job over delving into political matters, the sound of the engine over boring speeches. She simply provided the transportation and wanted nothing more. Once she bid farewell to Scorpion and the passengers, she would be back in the cockpit where she belonged.

    Liberty exited the ship last after checking all was in order. On her way out, she gave the exterior a soft pat, like one would a prized steed.

    Reluctantly she joined the squad on Unity's docking bay. While the escorts greeted the higher ups, the Colonel approached her and led her away from the group. What he wanted, she could only guess. In their few years of working together she still hadn't managed to figure out the man.

    "Captain, I know you were planning on staying with the ship, but I'd like you to keep an eye on our Gillick friend as much as you are able. Would you be willing to do that?"

    Liberty pursed her lips to hold in a laugh. Spy on the Gillick? Her?

    Bad idea. The Gillicks were not agreeable creatures and when it came to Gillicks, neither was she an agreeable human. They didn't mix well; she'd found that out more than once. Reason why she quit gambling with aliens...well, quit gambling in general.

    Liberty wondered at Scorpion's motive, but there was no time for further thought. She'd be a fool to say no to him.

    "Aye Sir, I can do that." She replied with a sharp nod. "Anything specific you'd like for me to watch for?"

    "Anything suspicious. I have little doubt in my mind that creature would spoil these negotiations if it profited him. We can't have anything go wrong this week. Especially not with the Inspector breathing down our necks." Scorpion gritted his jaw, his muscles tensing underneath his shirt. "Sorry to ask this of you, Captain, but you're one of the few here I trust. I know you'll do your duty no matter your feelings."

    How flattering. Liberty stood a little taller at the compliment. "Thank you, Sir. To remain cautious is the smartest route we can take." She folded her arms as she looked up at him. "I'll see to it that nothing goes wrong. You have my word."

    "Good." The hard lines in Scorpion's face softened ever so slightly. "Good Luck, Captain." He saluted her then moved to escort the Representative.

    She'd need all the luck she could get. Liberty sighed, casting a sorrowful glance at the ship before she started toward the door leading into the station.
    She spotted the Gillick speaking with his escort, but she didn't want to linger behind as that would be too obvious. She would blend into the crowd and see him again eventually.

    ***

    Stupid literal tech. What was she going to do, stab them to death with a two inch blade? Blind them with the LED light? Cut them with the teeny scissors? Slice a pinky finger?
    Tweeze off all their brows?! Liberty stomped through the hallway, her fowl mood growing with every stride. Her energy gun she understood, but removing her beloved Swiss Army Knife? Like she would be insane enough to plot murder with a pocket knife! Choking someone would be quicker...not that she planned to, of course.

    But if she didn't get that knife back, there would be words.


    When she reached the second level, the smell of food calmed her senses. She followed the mouthwatering trail to the kitchen, silencing her temptation to peek inside. Just beyond it was the recreation area which she had overheard would be the meeting place and she turned, scanning the crowd. To see a familiar face was a possibility but a rarity.
    She wasn't the type to make friends. Acquaintances, plenty. Drinking buddies, sure. Good looking men, occasionally. But not friends.

    Laughter echoed through the room as she watched aliens and humans converse in quick, hurried tones. At the sight of them, her eye gear brought up various info on each species mixed with their amplified heart rates. Quite the headache, really. She put the device into sleep mode before it could toss up anymore unwanted data.

    Now, to wait.

     
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  18. obi-sem kenobi

    obi-sem kenobi Senior Member

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    After the tour, Jacobson led them into the recreational area. It was a large, open space, custom designed to suit every species’ needs. The beauty of the fish tank in the middle of the room seemed to be the first thing Raz and Mel agreed upon. Raz quickly scanned the room as Mel started shaking hands with the other representatives. Many had not yet arrived, including the human delegation and that of the Gillicks. He decided that there was no immediate threat, so he sat down in a corner in one of the custom-built chairs and pulled up his communicator. Nobody stopped to bother him.

    A holographic screen pulled up about 4 inches above the device and showed a human-looking woman in her mid-thirties with pleasing features and her dark brown hair tied into a neat bun. She was in her private quarters, wearing a simple gown and sipping from a glass of wine. The long range caused some interference, but the image was undistorted.

    “Hello Captain.” She said with a smile. “Hello Tamora.” He answered, equally happy to see her. They had travelled together for a long time and did not waste words on things they both already knew. “How is the crew?” The captain asked. “We are doing fine Raz, do not worry about us, you already have enough concerns down there.” “It is my job to worry.” He said. “I know.” She answered. “How are your people?” “Unchanged.” Raz replied with a deep sigh. For better or for worse. But he cared about them. That’s why he was here.

    “How did it go?” Raz asked after a small pause. “Well, it’s going to be tricky. We made a quick scan, but the entire station is shielded. Jorex says their security would take weeks of preparation to hack, especially if you would want it to go unnoticed. If we’re not invited, I doubt we’ll be able to get in there.” “As we thought” Raz had hoped to sneak in a few of his crewmembers in case things got rough, but he always knew it was a longshot and with the Egrinots providing security it really wasn’t worth the trouble. Perhaps he could find another way. Perhaps not.

    They spend the next moment reading each other, conversing without words. She saw his disappointment at the decision his people made and his desire to be among his crew in the place that had become his home. He saw her desire to work beside him on this mission as they had on every other. Her feeling of uselessness, despite the knowledge that he counted on her to lead his crew.

    Some of the other delegations were starting to stream in. it was probably time to do what he came here for again. “I have to go.” “Don’t worry Raz, you’ll do fine. And so will we. I’ll let you know if we found another way in.” “Thank you.” The holographic projection disappeared again and with it his illusion of momentary isolation. Time to protect his people.
     
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  19. Love to Write

    Love to Write I'm a lover of writing. What else is to be said? Contributor

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    The human delegation entered the recreation area with much fanfare. Representative Klyne trotted through the door, his suit that of bright red and gold, a rose tucked in his front pocket. He smiled as if he owned the party, stretching out his arms in greeting to those around him. He immediately trotted up the first Representative he could find, and began chatting away with Scorpion and his crew close behind. Scorpion stood tall, an intimidating frown on his face, muscles large though not even close to equaling that of the Gillicks or A-Quads.

    The Gillick envoy was next to arrive. Cheif Grix entered with two large gillick bodyguards beside him. He wore little clothing as most gillicks did. A simple blue tinted plate of armor covered the front of his chest and waist and a pair of tinted eyewear over his eyes. Next to appear was the Pun advisor, Favara. Her bright white skin was a stark contrast to the black Gillicks around her. Over her left shoulder and chest was draped a gold cape which drew one’s attention to the gold tattoos along her single visible arm and face. Unlike the Gillicks around her, the spines on her back had been shaved as short as possible, another symbol of her position. There were many whispers amidst the crowd. Rumors of Pun magic had reached many worlds, though what they were truly capable of was left to the imagination.

    Grix looked around with a smug expression. The Gillicks were currently the most dangerous people in the room with the Aquads being a close 2nd and everyone knew it. He would undoubtedly use that to his advantage as he talked to the other representatives. Pun Favara on the other hand made no such outwardly display. She stood quietly, young eyes observing all around her. From time to time her eyes would meet another's but they would quickly look away.

    This area just got a bit more interesting.
     
  20. AnonyMouse

    AnonyMouse Contributor Contributor

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    Vitalia followed her escort to the Recreation Room. Along the way, she stared in wonder at everything. They passed species she had never seen up close before, only in holograms. It was a lot like walking through a zoo and seeing all the amazing creatures you’ve learned about in school.

    However, the human technology was anything but fascinating. It was all so… old. Well, to the humans it was probably new, cutting edge stuff, but to Vita it was like strolling through a museum and seeing how people used to live centuries ago.

    For example, they had holograms, but, when Vita reached out to touch them her paw passed right through. And she touched a lot of them. So many, Lt. Reese had to politely tell her to stop.

    They were nearly to the Recreation Room when Vita’s OmniSphere beeped, indicating she was receiving a call. When she answered it, QT99’s expressionless metal fox-mask materialized. Her glowing blue eyes briefly scrutinized the Lieutenant before turning to Vitalia.

    “Master Rhyssa,” the android said in a dull monotone. “This one has urgent news of both a good and bad nature.”

    “Start with the good news,” Vita said.

    “Good news: the Amaterasu’s warp core is recharged and ready to depart at a moment’s notice, in case of emergency, per the Defense Ministry’s request.”

    “I… umm… do not think that will be necessary,” Vita said with a nervous glance to Lt. Reese. “Things are going quite nicely here. I am safe and in no hurry to leave. Please wait with the ship, QT.”

    The tsubael glanced to the side, as if hiding something. “This one has not yet told you the bad news,” she said after a pause. “The docking authorities said the Amaterasu is illegally parked and ordered XR77 to remove it immediately.”

    “That is fine,” Vitalia said. “You all can loiter in orbit until the matter is resolved and return when it is time to leave.”

    “You misunderstand,” QT99 said. “This one was not aboard the ship when it was ordered to vacate. They departed without this one.”

    Vitalia sighed. “Where are you, QT?”

    “This one was apprehended by security personnel as a ‘hostile synthetic lifeform,’” she said. “This one attempted to explain that this one is an attendant serving the Inari representative and has never partaken in hostile action in this one’s life --except for that one time, which we shall not speak of-- but this one was ignored.”

    “Just… just stay where you are, QT. You are not in danger, are you?”

    “No. The humans do not seem interested in dismantling this one,” QT said. “Which is a shame. They don’t know what they’re missing.”

    “Indeed,” Vita said dryly. “Stay safe, QT. I am sure they will release you once this is cleared up. I will check on you later, but I must meet the other representatives first. Goodbye.”

    “Until then,” QT99 said. She gave one final nod and the hologram vanished.

    Vitalia turned to Lt. Reese. Halfway through the conversation, they had arrived at the entrance to the Recreation Room and stepped aside, to let the flow of people pass. “Sorry,” she said to the woman. “The tsubaels are wonderful companions, but can be a handful sometimes. They occasionally go --what is the human expression-- ‘off the script.,’ yes.” She smiled. “Umm… anyway… p-please, lead the way, Miss Reese. I shall follow.”
     
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  21. halisme

    halisme Contributor Contributor

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    "I have no luggage, though you shall provide me with a means of keeping my tool in the talks. It is for, religious purposes. And you shall show me to the Gillick representative's quarters. I must discuss something with him." Abathur stated.

    Garret sighed as if annoyed. "Sir, the Egrinot security takes whatever it deems a threat. No one is capable of negotiating that. Now, if you'll follow me." The grumpy escort turned on his heel and led Abathur towards the representative quarters. As Abathur stepped through the door he felt a buzz down his body as the security measures activated. Nhana and his Net launcher had been removed, but his shield remained.

    Garret spoke into his communicator a moment then nodded as he listened to the response. "The Gillick Representatives are currently headed to the Recreation area. Shall I guide you there, Sir?"

    "Why haven't my teeth been removed? I might tear someone's throat out with them, or my quills, what it snapped one off and drove it in their eye socket, broke through the thin layer of bone, and then twist it into their brain." He grumbled. "I want my tools back. If I wished to be violent, I can do so without them. They are important to my faith." Abathur snarled.

    Garret simply sighed and continued to walk, trusting the Gillick would follow him despite his annoyance at the fact he'd temporarily lost his most important object.

    "If there is an employee evaluation sheet, I would like one as well." He grumbled, following the man. He'd been around humans enough to know that he wasn't going to get a reply. He may have been Gillick, but that didn't stop him from reading body language. He hoped that there would be no one near the representative as he talked. If a pun was nearby, his job would be much more difficult.

    The escort led him to the recreation area and pointed towards Chief Grix who seemed to be searching out his next victim to speak to. At his side, a white Pun. Pun Favara. Her eyes locked onto his own the moment he entered the room. She frowned slightly as if she knew what he had done, and condemned him.

    "My chief." Abathur said, giving a formal bow. It was something he'd learnt from his long dead friend, a great show of respect and, considering Grix's attempt at trade, meant he'd likely understand it as well. "I wish to speak with you privately on a matter of great importance. I believe something is deeply wrong on the home world, and I am unsure if I can trust your company, not that I doubt your judgement of character."

    Grix looked him over and scoffed. "I am not your Chief, nor you my tribesman. If you were, you'd know I care nothing about what may be wrong with our world. I only care about the conquest of it all." Grix sniffed Abathur and snarled. "You smell like a human, Gu-quill." Gu-quill was the worse insult a Gillick could give another. A Gu-quill was Gillick no longer recognized as a gillick. Such outcasts often did not last long on their homeworld.

    "Which means you will be chief of all Gillicks." He replied, maintaining a calm demeanour and ignoring the insult. After spending time with criminals, the most the chief could do verbally was give him a sense of nostalgia. "Or you would be, if you weren't being treated as a puppet, the bounty of your hunt being stolen from you by weaker beings." Always play upon the sense of pride and greed, Abathur thought to himself, pulling himself to his full height and staring at the pale eyed demon next to his target.

    Grix snarled deep in his throat causing the Pun to look over at them. She eyed Abathur for a moment before returning to observing of the Fish Tank. "Choose your next words carefully, Gu-Quill, or my guards will make sure they are your last." A power ploy. Abathur had gotten the Chief's attention.

    "What are the words of our gods, that the strong should rule the weak. A simple manifesto and a correct one, whether taken as they will rule to protect, or do most of the labour and deserve to compensated. Our gods and strong. The gillick are strong. My great masters made the great void black so that we might see through it, then the demons populated it with stars so we might be blind. Yet, a deformed breed, a weak creature, only capable of seeing when bathed in the rays of light, are their messengers? Our gods demand that weakness be purged, yet have their messengers be the weakest of us all? The mighty grananth does not heed the whispers of the lowly lek. That is not the commanded of a Gillick, nor a god, so who must it come from?" Abathur's voice had raised in volume, in fact, it had grown quieter. Yet a fire filled his words, a righteous that lacked pretension and what was at both a giving of strength, but a command to be listened to. "I do not ask you believe me now, but heed my words, and consider the true nature of the Pun."

    Cheif Grix was silent a moment then an uproarious laugh filled the room drawing attention from those around him. "It is little wonder the gods have cast you out...Gu-Quill. You defy their messengers and claim they are weak? You've clearly never experienced the magic of Pun up-close nor heard the future spoken into life by their lips."

    "The latter, and it was wrong." He stated, his mind flashing back to when he was younger. Ah, his first kill. Blinding powder, spike trap through the skin, disarmament, and finally a cut through a throat to drain the blood. "As for the former, send a message to one of your men, have them find The Jagged Scars Clan, ask their leader to take them to Delim'Nhar. They shall see my work."

    Chief Grix snarled violently and the guards around him immediately went on high alert, one of them stepped between Abathur and Pun Favara. "Pun slayer, filth. You are cursed high above any Gu-quill. You will be prey in the everlasting hunting grounds and your deaths will be slow and torturous. Speak to me no more, Gu-quill or I'll have my guard rip out your tongue."

    Abathur gave a nod and took three steps away.. He'd clearly gotten under the chief's skin, more or less as planned. If he had converted, it would be another member of the true faith who had some power. Otherwise, since he part of the human delegation, and the chief was willing to attack him, to do so would cause a major diplomatic incident. Damaging relations between the misguided gillick's clan and humans, the only technological gifted race likely to work with them. Of course, the possibility of orbital bombardment was always possible, though his kin were prepared for such an incident. "I hope you realise that the Pun shall not allow the Gillick any other unified authority, Grix, though if they fail and you get to the larger stage, you shall find yourself a very small fish, in a very large pond." He finished, before walking away.
     
  22. Arvak

    Arvak Member

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    Alfred had witnessed the exchange between Abathur and the Gillick representative, it was among the first things he saw upon getting to the recreation area. Excusing himself from his escort he walked over and intercepted the Gillick, speaking in a calm tone at first "Mr. Slazzar, do you remember what you were told on the ship?"

    "That humans wish to run the galaxy, but the jellyfish stopped them last time. Diplomatic incidents tend to lead to war, and war leads to annexing." He finished, continuing to walk in an attempt to find something to do.

    Eh, he wasn't wrong "Mr.Slazzar, if you intend to cause a problem I will see to it that you are vented out an airlock" Reed did not turn as Abathur began to move past him.

    Abathur turned to Alfred, tilting his head to one side. "Do you not wish to gain control of the galaxy? The Gillicks have no allies. We're barely capable of space travel. We prefer axes and swords when orbital bombardments exist. Do these factors not make us ideal targets? As for airlocking, I have little time left in this world, fear of death has little hold of me and I am expecting an incident to happen with or without my aid."

    "If your intention is to start a war" Reed turned his head to look back at Abathur "then perhaps you should do better than act like a disobedient pet. we won't jump to war because you got your sorry hide flayed alive"

    Abathur titled his head. "Have you actually considered what your intentions are?" For a race that had once wanted, and still likely wanted to rule, a peace conference held no point. This was Abathur's theory, and specifically what his gods had told him. "And as I said. Something will happen, with or without my aid."

    "oh for-you're as dense as an A-quad" Reed turned his whole body to face Abathur "I don't care whether or not an incident occurs, Do not make a mess that we have to clean up, we're not here to babysit you, Does that make it any clearer?" Reed couldn't care less about if a conflict with the Gillick broke out, he just didn't want Abathur being a pain.

    "I assure you, so long as you pay, I shall not interfere." He commented. "I'm merely here to inform you of the gillick culture, I just ask that, when the time comes, I am given some trust."

    "Then you'd best follow orders, Mr. Slazzar, or be a bit more discreet" Reed turned to walk away.
     
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  23. Ishnorb

    Ishnorb Member

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    Location:
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    Adjustments were made to Skia, the goggles which rested over Scar's eyes. Two reasons stemmed from this action, sensitivity of light and disabling onlookers from perfectly seeing the color or oddity that were his eyes. Completely unaware of what lied beyond the lift, Scar contemplated going back to the docking area from which he came. However answers wouldn't be found standing still. Then it clicked in his mind....

    Looking down at his body, recollecting the attire of those he passed in the docking bay. Something should be done about his attire. Last thing Scar needed was someone recognizing him through his clothing. Stepping into the lift, Scar patiently awaits arrival to the next floor. Mind heavily weighing on what action or method to take for obtaining new garbs. Especially those which fit his 7'5" stature.....

    Eyes widened faintly upon the lift doors opening and revealing the other side. Another reminder, Scar had never been inside a place like Unity. Life had been 'sheltered' or only lived on small pirate ships, besides times being docked on planets deemed 'safe' and even then time was short-lived on those planets. Other than that, he only spent time infiltrating other ships, which were nowhere near the magnitude of this space-station.

    Simply placing one foot before the other, Scar began to lead himself to.. Where? he had no clue. Scar simply 'went with the flow' so to speak. Following a few others lead, yet he didn't look apart of the group he followed. Eyes darted back and forth as information was gathered of surroundings. All of this done while searching for his next course of action, where to obtain new clothing. As always, Scar upheld his average monotonous expression.....

    Anything would of been nice, a storage room, servants quarters, anything.... Due to focusing heavily on where to go and obtain new attire, when someone tapped his shoulder and spoke he couldn't refrain from a faint jolt from being startled or surprised 'Excuse me, Sir? Do you require assistance??' Pivoting on heel Scar now faced where the voice came from. A young man holding a sort of handheld electronic device. Despite making eye contact, the man still tapped away upon the touchscreen of the device in his hands. Scar had to faintly look down, to make eye to eye contact with the individual.

    "Actually, yes you can." Their location was not incredibly far from the room which the meeting would be held. However, the crewmen looked at Scar curiously, humans didn't typically wear shaded glasses or let alone goggles in well lit areas. Not to mention Scar's attire didn't exactly fit in with anyone else's on board this space-station....

    Coughing faintly to enable clearer speaking, Scar continued. "Last night was a bit..... Intense..... To say the least" A cheeky smile stretched across his face. "Seems I went overboard last night with intoxication, ended up performing some entertainment for our fellow crew-mates as a 'dancer'." Waving his hands downward faintly, Scar presents himself and attire as though wearing a costume. "In fact, mind still feels a bit hazy from it all." Cheeky smile faded, fake hangover or exhausted expression overthrew his tone. "Not to mention, during this travesty I performed, I seemed to have foolishly left my credentials behind.... So if you could so kindly escort me to our barracks, I absolutely need to get into uniform and onward to my station...." Hands clasped together as he pleaded. "I would ask superiors for assistance, however i'm late as it is, also I don't wish this mockery to be hung over my head atop of it all...... Or lose my job.... It's bad enough I've walked this far on our station in these garbs...." A (faked) look of sincerity overthrew his demeanor as he hoped this person would help and not see through his masquerade.

    The servant's eyes narrowed and grabbed a communicator. The look in his eyes was proof enough of his disbelief. He was about to call security.

    Grasping the young man's hand, in attempts of disabling activation of the communicator, Scar applies pressure upon the device aiming to break it. "I'd do as told if I were you, or things will swiftly get interesting.... Also this is the last time I'll ask nicely...." Tilting head left and right, several cracks and pops occurred as Scar stretched. It was more than obvious to this man, that Scar was much stronger than an average human due to strength of grip... "Lead the way.... Please..." Finally, Scar attempted to swipe the datapad from the young mans grasp. If the datapad was stolen and the communicator broken, Scar would release the young man from his grasp. If this scene was about to get ugly, Scar was already within his 'fight or flight' mode.

    The servant yelped as the communicator snapped, cutting his hand. He looked up at Scar in terror. The strange man still held his hand in a vice powerful enough to crack his bones. "Y...yes, Sir. What...whatever you say, sir." The terrified man yelped. His name badge read "Walter". Walter led Scar to the servant quarters, to a room not yet occupied. Inside was a nicely ironed servant uniform. Only, there was no access card or badge like the servant Scar held onto had. "Please, sir..." Walter wept. "I've got a wife and kid...please don't kill me. Please, I swear I won't say anything!"

    "If you wish to continue said life, then give me your key and badge. Stay in this room as well. I don't need you hindering my plans. If you impede my work, I may be forced to hurt others on board, something we both would like to avoid, yes?" He released Walter's hand once the items were given over and Walter had sworn to remain in the room. Scar then demanded Walter to a wall. The very same wall which stood on the opposite side of the entrance to the room. Scar changed his attire, left the room, locking poor Walter in as he left. Then without any mention of his depart, Scar attempted to retrace his steps back towards where the meeting would be held.
     
  24. Love to Write

    Love to Write I'm a lover of writing. What else is to be said? Contributor

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    Location:
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    The recreation area was noisy with the amount of guests milling about, but in instant a hush fell over the crowd. Those who didn’t understand why, turned and were immediately hushed themselves. An egrinot, about 4 feet tall and 3 ft wide had floated into the room in his atmosphere bubble. There was no face, no arms, only dozens of small tentacles floating around him. A translucent body glowed with a mirade of colors and indiscernible shapes. To the human eye, a creature of great beauty. An A.I bot followed him around as security. Many of these bot’s wandered the halls as security for the summit.

    For a long moment, no one said anything...then a soft, melodic voice entered their minds in their own language, “Welcome. The egrinots and humans thank all here for coming to discuss Unity and Peace between all species of this Galaxy. A meal has been prepared by some of the finest chefs, with each race’s unique dietary needs in mind. The escorts will show you the way. After this meal, we shall begin our first meeting at 0500 galactic time. Thankyou.” The Egrinot floated away and conversations resumed with renewed energy.

    The guests were led by their escorts to the dining hall, large enough to serve over 200 people. The buffets were organized by species, food for each race prepared with extreme care. One small buffet table said “Safe for all.” Needless to say, there were only about five items on it. Each person was seated and the escorts began serving their ward whatever they wanted off the available menu.

    There was no segregation of species. All were sat together in the expectation they would act harmoniously, as this summit was all about.
     
  25. obi-sem kenobi

    obi-sem kenobi Senior Member

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    It had been a while since Raz had last seen an Egrinot. They were certainly beautiful, but they also unnerved him somehow. The way they flow into your mind, as comfortable as silk bedsheets. Raz had seen someone strangled to death with silk bedsheets once. He was not a man of secrets, apart from the one, now, but he still did not like someone prying in his mind.

    Of course the Egrinots assured them that they only used it for communication and that they would never invade a person’s private thoughts, but they said lots of things.

    The dining room was something else though. Raz had probably seen more of these dishes than most others because most of them had passed through his ship at one point or another. He had only a very limited taste for Aquizikan food, but when he saw the lasagna on the human table a slight smile touched his lips.

    Jorax had prepared lasagna for the entire crew once, confident that nobody, no matter what race, would be able to resist it. Gran nearly choked on it, and everything he swallowed immediately came back out. Watching a Gillick vomit is a rare strange sight indeed. Raz had really rather liked it though. After he asked Jacobson if he could have some he took a seat directly opposite Mel’s. Not really the dinner company he was waiting for, but duty came first.

    Mel had chosen a spot next to the Bastotian representative, hoping to gain some favour and familiarity before making his offer. The Bastotians were an interesting people, but politics, especially of this nature, did not interest Raz at all. He looked to the other side, hoping for a more interesting dinner guest to take a seat near his.
     
    Last edited: Feb 22, 2016

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