Plot It is the year 2823 by the human common calendar, and the galaxy is at peace, or whatever semblance of it there can be when over eight hundred sentient species ply the stars, seeking to make their own way. However, our gaze is cast over the galactic north-west, where, amongst the various systems, the ruins of the Eltheni empire lie. Brought to collapse not by war, but the treasurer AI named Minos taking all of the government's funds, before disappearing with the Empress's personal ship, leaving behind this mysterious message. "The foolish games we play." Spoiler: Message in Binary 01101000 01110100 01110100 01110000 00111010 00101111 00101111 01110100 01101001 01101110 01111001 01110101 01110010 01101100 00101110 01100011 01101111 01101101 00101111 00110010 01100110 01100011 01110000 01110010 01100101 00110110 That was four hundred years ago, and any attempt to find where Minos disappeared to, and recover the funds has proven fruitless. Now though, you, a bounty hunter, mercenary, pirate, or other shadowy figure of the underworld, has been sent an invite, to the Sublime Bazar on Sol Three, the Human homeworld, from a synthetic claiming to have uncovered a clue to Minos's location, though she requires aid to retrieve the plunder. Rules: No god modding All character sheets must be preapproved If in a fight against generic grunts, you can write that you kill them all, against named enemies, wait for the GM to reply. Rude as you want in character, polite out of character. Swearing is allowed. Character Sheet Name: Species: Description: History: Equipment: Misc: (Things like pets or current ships.) Tech that exists: Shield Generators Cloaking Fields Laser Based Weaponry Drones Powered Armour (These are just examples, put what you like and I'll judge if it fits.) Species Eltheni - An aquatic race that once ruled without rival, now scatted into dozens of feuding states Spoiler: Details Biology: Eltheni are aquatic humanoids that, when on land, stand at roughly seven feet tall, with rubbery skin that ranges from grey to blue. They can extend a thin membrane from the back of their arms that acts as a fin when underwater, as well as being able to do the same for their back and legs. Each of their fingers ends in a sharp claw, ideal for piercing scales of fish. Their bones are also dense due to living in the depths of the ocean. When on land, they often don armoured suits, designed to keep a layer of water within and filtered so they can breathe on land. Life Expectancy (Sol 3 Orbits) - 145 -160 History: Early Eltheni history is as hard to grasp as human history, but for a very different reason. While human history was lost to time, Eltheni history is recorded in "Sagas", which are shrouded in a layer of myth and religion that can be hard to decode. The start of Eltheni history begins with what they refer to as "The Catharsis", however, the more accurate translation is "Happy Cleansing". What exactly was "cleansed" is unknown, with some saying that it was a holy war, and others speculating that the Eltheni world originally had sentient life on the surface that was removed. This then begins a period of slow expansion and peace amongst their neighbours, before the next event called "The Crushing" where many Eltheni colonies were lost to a force called "The False Light", a total unknown upon which any speculation is baseless. What is known is that, after this point, the Eltheni stopped considering negotiating an option, and militarised. Over a period of one thousand years, the Empire expanded rapidly, developing methods of breeding clone armies within months, utilising AI for administrative purposes, and enslaving any species they came across. Then, the collapse happened. With the treasury empty, new armies could not be bred, infrastructure could not be maintained, and order collapsed. The vast majority of the Eltheni still alive are the descendants of the clone armies, having interbred with the regular populace, and, due to being the most knowledgeable in war, took the role of the ruling class, in the dozens of kingdoms, dukedoms, and any other names the warlords would give themselves. These states are often waring, and fall into a scale between two camps, radicals, and conservatives. The latter maintain the old faith of the goddess Atune and believe that a descendant of the old line must rule over all Eltheni again so that the conquest can rebegin. Others hold that the Eltheni must forge a new path for themselves. However, both sides hold the same stance on true AI, that being it cannot be trusted. Gergite - Reptilian humanoids who lost their homeworld to natural forces, and now ply the stars in great ships. Spoiler: Details Biology A Gergite is a large reptilian humanoid that stands between seven and nine feet high on average. There scales can hold almost any colour, though they tend to darken with age. Their biology is uniquely resistant to physical threats, and has a massive amount of redundancy built including: Secondary and Tertiary Hearts, an additional set of lungs, deposits of fat around joints that act as cushions, and nerve clusters spread around the body which can serve as a brain for a twelve minute period, should the brain be destroyed, however, this does little apart from send the creature into a berserker rage. Furthermore, the maximum height of a Gergite is yet to be determined as it is decided by how many joules they are able to consume during their adolescent period, with the maximum seen being roughly twenty feet, however, it is worth noting that this influx of energy must remain constant, making the larger kind prone to starvation. Life Expectancy (Sol 3 Orbits) - 80-200 (Larger Gergites tend to live much shorter lives.) History A Gergite is a descendant of a survivor. A person who fought to ensure their own surivival, by climbing their way through a mass of bodies. The Gergite's homeworld which shared the same name was consumed by the hungry star that it orbited. In preparation for this day, a dozen and one "arc ships" had been prepared, each capable of sustaining a two percent of the planet's population. Places on these ships had to either be bought, earned, or stolen, and many turned on their own kind to gain residence upon them. For six hundred years these ships have plied the stars, convening every fifty years around the old start to exchange goods, maintain knowledge, and exchange populace to ensure a diverse genepool. At this point, each ship has evolved into its own fleet, now being surrounded by dozens of craft capable of maintain even more of the population, and even more military crafts capable of defending the fleet, or raiding other ships and even planets. Many Gergite are loathe to attack other for resources, though two of the fleets have embraced their new lifestyle as pirates and raiders, developing a culture that praises strength. https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/3b/88/b3/3b88b3842bf1673df9407bc204726d1f.jpg Humans - Former slaves of the Elethni who were freed during the collapse, and now make their own way in the galaxy at large. Spoiler: Details Biology: For the most part, very little has changed for the human race in terms of biology, or very little has changed naturally. An increase in food and slight gene modding has led to humans being faster, stronger, and generally more resilient than their ancestors from a millennia ago, as well as a slight increase in average height, with anywhere between 5' 9 and 6' 5 being the standard for humans now. Life Expectancy (Sol 3 Orbits) 100-120 History Much of human history is lost, most of the knowledge coming from Eltheni colonisation and enslavement of Sol 3. Apparently, much of the world surface was irradiated at the time, with humanity being "slaves to the material". The irony should not be lost upon anyway when the Eltheni then enslaved them and used them to mine materials from the planet, as well as exporting them to other worlds for the same purpose. For quite some time, humans were seen as a novelty, appearing very similar to the Eltheni, but lacking the aquatic features and having a broader range of skin tone. Upon the collapse of the Empire however, many of the human slaves rose up against their masters in the chaos, claiming the various planets that they had been the dominant population on for themselves. On the vast majority this lead to purges of the remaining Eltheni and the forming of democratic human governments as a means of rebelling against the autocratic state that controlled them. Many of these have since confederated into a series of interplanetary governments, and, in total, humans occupy thirty six planets spread across twenty seven systems. The majority of their technology is based off the equipment used to by the Eltheni, the ancient pieces having been stolen, however, newer generations of technology have a rugged, practical design Molesk - The newcomers on the scene, these large, four armed mammals all serve a single collective, with the soldiers operating as privateers and mercenaries when not in use. Spoiler: Details Biology The average Molesk ranges between eight and eleven feet tall, appearing as bipedal moles with stocky builds, and an additional set of small arms beneath their upper set. They are terrestrial creatures, and tend to favour cramped spaces when possible. They are remarkably strong for their size, and tend to favour bulky weaponry and armour, often in blocky designs. Their minds also have a tendency of stipping away any extraneous details, leaving many to think of them as unrefined. Life Expectancy (Sol 3 Orbits)- 40-45 History To many, the Molesk Directorate would appear as something of a hivemind as, for the past forty years they've been on the galactic stage, they have acted with precision and unison. Their history, while not unmarred by internal strife, does contain very little of it, and when it does happen, it appears to be quick, though often extremely bloody. The primary reason for this is that the Molesk might be described as one of the least ambitious species in the galaxy. This leads them to typically take the roles that suits them, and have very few aspirations of their own which, when combined with their communal living conditions, creates a species that is highly collectivist. This collectivism means that a Molesk will typically be raised for a single job from birth, which it will happily fulfill. However, the main issue here comes with the soldiers, as they often grow bored and feel unfulfilled due to not being able to do their job. To counter this, some become "privateers" which essentially act as mercenaries for other factions, so long as it does not affect the Molesk Directorate's plans which primarily appears to be expansion, colonising several systems near their homeworld, as well as hiring many scientist of other species to rapidly advance their technology to be equivalent to the other galactic powers, which, at this point, this been successful. The Directorate itself is governed by a committee of experts in multiple field, from agriculture to industry, war to medicine, with each overseeing that aspect of the society as an autocratic position who is elected by their subordinates from within their own ranks. To many, the Molesk present an interesting factor in the galaxy, and a potentially destabilizing one. Their privateers have proven highly useful, and the species is generally well liked due to this fact, however, those with foresight see the weakness of giving too much responsibility to the mercenaries, given their true loyalty. Synths - Robotic bodies powered by an AI core Spoiler: Details A catch all term for any AI with its own body, there is no true way to define a synth in terms of form or function. Most share similarities with the species that created them, meaning most are bipedal, though quadrupeds and even arachnids are not unheard of. Due each species constructing AIs to their own standards, there is no unifying philosophy amongst them either. The only thing that does unify them is that their intelligence and personality is held within a cylindrical core that can be moved between machines, meaning that, so long as the core is preserved, the AI can simply be placed into a new body and continue existing with its regained autonomy. Vaari - A once great empire brought low by the Eltheni. Now, they make their home on a series of scattered worlds hidden from all others. Spoiler: Details Biology A Vaari appears very similar to the foxes found on earth, though with bipedal and with six digits at the end of each limb. They stand at anywhere between four and six foot high, with males tending to be smaller than the females. Their fur is monochrome, though some brown does seem to appear around the muzzle and eyes with age. Life Expectancy (Sol 3 Orbits) - 240-270 History The Vaari were once the Eltheni's most prominent rivals in terms of influence, and their superiors in terms of technology, however, when war broke out between the two, the Eltheni won through sheer numbers, and being more adapted to fighting on land than the Vaari were for assaulting cities beneath the depths. This led to the Eltheni being driven off most of their world, and finding new homes on a scattered handful of planets named "Enclave Worlds" which they inform no one else of. Each Varri ship is programmed with the location of these worlds, however, their onboard AI is programmed to destroy the data should there even be the threat of capture. To counter this, each Varri has memorised the coordinates of the world they were born on, so that they might return to regain the data. The primary difference between the Vaari Empire and the Eltheni Empire was what historians have come to term the gardner/miner dynamic. While the Eltheni would strip mine a planet for natural resources via an enslaved populace, the Vaari would take a slower, more sustainable approach, and even allowed subjected people to take part in the democratic process. However, that is not to say the Vaari were beneficent overlords. They were still conquerors, and subjected peoples never held more than ten percent of the seats in the Vaari parliment. And you can also make your own if you wish, just be sure to explain what they are.
Reminder, character sheets go here: https://www.writingforums.org/threads/a-sirens-call-discussion.151149/#post-1536928 The Lenden Bazaar was a strange place, a dozen different species wandering around in the hazy neon lights and holograms that marketed half a dozen different products and spread the latest broadcast of news from every corner of the galaxy in half a dozen different languages, though the translator implanted in each being would let them understand. Handmade Soap... Vaari Drones...Arkship Spotted in The Molesk System...Archduchy of Venik and Principality at War... Human Labour For CHEAP!! The majority of the wanderers were natives to the planet, though that did not mean that the people were not well travelled. The Bazaar as a place where near any good could be found at the right price, and of course, meaning that those who were capable of supplying the goods were as well. Siren wandered through all of this, her stature drawing the eye of the occasional onlooker. Most had seen synths before, and there were even some wandering around her at the moment, though most were of a shorter stature than her and significantly less ornate. Exposed servos and flat faceplates instead of her detailed carved visage. After strolling for a few minutes, she found one of the sets of stairs that went down to the lower levels, where she had requested a private room in a bar. It wasn't uncommon for those who wanted to keep their business away from prying eyes to do such things, and she was no different. After a moment she ran the image through her memory files once again, and reached her hand out and connected it to the hologram projector, making sure that everything would be ready. While she prepared the files for display, she examined the room. It was perfectly clean, a small robot, one that lacked proper AI, was scuttering around on the floor, picking up whatever dirt could be found and preparing it for incineration. There were a dozen comfy seats, though most of them were stained with a mixture of beer, wine and whatever alcoholic drinks this place served. After a moment, Siren took a moment to breathe, not physically of course. Just a moment where her core processes were the only focus. She wondered how many of them would come.
Delphi had no clue what she was looking at. Sipping her drink, she once more pretended to watch the small screened holo-program which was mounted to the wall. It seemed like an AI fighting match. Delphi turned around at the noise of someone entering the quiet bar. Was it her? Nope. Just a small Czerchai. She glanced back to the program as the yellow-skinned dwarf disappeared into a private parlour. "And folks, it looks like Rel is going to take Rah to the blades!.... OOOHHH, so close Rel, but not fast enough for Rah's defensive system!" Delphi sighed. How long had the green-skinned aquatic creature been sitting? Ah, she didn't care. As long as she SEEMED calm and in control, that's how others would view her. Besides almost beheading a few others with her fins today, participating in a short gun fight, and earned a couple strange looks from the barman everything was going smooth. Except for Rel's fight. She almost laughed, but couldnt. More footsteps were approaching the bar, this time Delphi was sure it was her. If she couldn't lock away her emotions and put them deep down where she never had to deal with them like others, she didn't deserve gold! Snapping her attention back to the approaching footsteps, Delphi quietly calculated as is new person entered the bar and went to her private room. It was Siren of course, and it was Delphi's time to introduce herself. Sneaking her way over to the room, she stepped in quietly and sat down near Siren, looking at her without a word.
Still feeling stiff from being shoved in the cargo hold, Aramis walked over to the room that he'd seen yet another person slip in. He held some small shot of something, just for the pretence but Aramis's mind whirred again. Was he being viewed as a human or not? At a quick glance, he knew he was human, but allowing other's eyes to meet his usually changed opinions. The barman had given a hard-to-interpret-expression as he had ordered this thing, did he see through him, or was this drink unusual to request? Aramis did his best to frown; there were way too many possibilities for his liking. Reaching the room, he cackhandedly switched hands to knock, which he did twice in a kind of tune as soft one climbed up onto his shoulder.
In a place like this, there’s little point to scanning the area. The very fixtures seem to change by the second. Technology is not worth the time. For a Vaari, her senses were all she needed to know the melting pot and its secrets. Especially smell. With nostrils flaring on her muzzle, she let in scents across the board. Keraelii could taste the pungent delicacies from the Ghugari market. The amphibian race adored their acidic batches served in bowls of chitin. Excessive floods of fumigated truffles invaded from the local Tildaarian sweetshop, clearly putting out their best work for the upcoming mating season. She sniffled slightly at that to remove it from thought. Races thriving and dying lined the halls, going about the never-ending business of the average day. Keraelii preferred to pass it in silence. She mentally could pick out any species in the area. Always feeling like hunting. It was like an old friend, or maybe an insatiable hunger. The mind drifts to dark places with unchecked violence for such an extended period. Maybe all that’s left is the shadow. Keraelii walked steadily through the endless hordes, keeping pace and stature as to having some monstrous purpose. It was amazing how so many would move out of the way if one walked to such a degree. She gritted her teeth. The smell of human slaves emanated from beneath the floors, no doubt diligently working storage for some unseen Elthini master. Their stink of sub ordinance kept her questioning the value of the race. That was the type her Master was though. Strange that a Vaari of her skill could be so outmatched by that of a human reaching his twilight years. That was all that kept the human race as anything more in her mind. The dive of a bar on her schedule appeared on sign pointing below. The neon flashes lining its corridor were as deterring to her as they were inviting to others. Shadows generally were preferable, but Keraelii could still hide quite easily in plain sight. Paranoia of far too many years in the business ruins certain things. As she stepped down the long staircase, towards the dredges, she speculated on the other groups she had become even remotely part of. The sacrifices they made for each other; the sacrifices she made out of them. Keraelii doubted this group would be much different. When you blow a ship with hundreds of slaves, some of which had been your closest friends, for your own escape, a part of you has died. The which some may call a soul has done much more “dying” since then. Keraelii understood who she had become. More animal than Vaari. A hunter. With a prize so large, she suspected her company was no more than a means to an end. An animal needs to eat after all. She entered the bar and sternly approached the backroom. As she opened it, a head snapped in her direction. She barred her teeth momentarily. An Elthini and two machines. The one hid itself well as a human, but she was keenly attuned to the race's smell. This one didn't have the oils in its pores, the smell of its previous meal upon it. At least Keraelii wouldn’t feel any remorse in their sacrifice along the way.
Bounty hunters generally fall into one of two categories. The first, and most common, are those who treat their profession like any other job. They understand their limits and rarely test them. They pick reasonable targets and receive reasonable pay for reasonable effort. They probably have a spouse, a home, maybe a child or two. To put it simply, they have a reason to live. Mello generally didn’t worry about those bounty hunters. They gave him a wide berth, like any sane man would. The bounty on his head was large enough to buy a small moon, but those who sought him knew the price. They knew he was not a prize easily won. No ‘reasonable’ man would dare hunt the Raven, an assassin said to be the synth equivalent of “here’s what happens when a meat grinder and a blender have a baby.” One does not summon the Raven to have one’s opponents merely killed. Oh, no no no. The Raven exists for one reason: to make an example of your enemies. He exists to chop them into easily packageable bits to mail to your adversaries. He exists to turn your problems into meat smoothies. It takes a great deal of courage to stand before such an abomination and think, “yeah, I can beat him. I can claim that bounty.” Courage... or stupidity? Is there any difference? Mello didn’t pay much heed to the bounty on his head. This was mostly because he trusted he could handle himself, but also because the Gergites put that price on him. If anyone wanted to claim it, there would be two mountains to climb. Oh, so you actually managed to kill the Raven? Congratulations… now go collect your payment from a pack of bloodthirsty, cutthroat, nigh-unkillable space lizards. Yeah, good luck with that. Again, it takes a certain kind of… umm, ‘courage,' for lack of a better word. Whatever you call it, most people don’t have it. He walked the streets of the Lenden Bazaar, making no effort to hide his form or face, if that jagged mask could even be called such. His eerie crimson gaze seemed to study something far beyond the here and now. Is this nostalgia, perhaps? This place had hardly changed in nearly a century. He peered through the years and saw different shops and shopkeepers, sure, but the feel remained the same. Lenden felt like life. It felt like swimming in the bloodstream of a great and wonderful beast. No, that didn’t sound right. Pulse. Yes, a pulse, not a ‘blood stream.’ The latter sounded too visceral, too much like his old self. Bloody, gory, dead. That’s not what this place is. The Lenden Bazaar had a pulse. It was teeming with life, not bleeding out on a cold sidewalk. No Raven here. He would have to write this down later. On second thought, no, not until he found the right words. ‘Pulse’ didn’t feel right either, but he’d find the proper phrasing eventually. Lenden deserved it. Mello made his way down a wide staircase. Well, it was wide, before he entered it. He could part a crowd like the Red Sea, but here there was no place for them to go. No escape. The people uncomfortably brushed shoulders with him. It couldn’t be helped. I don’t bite, Mello thought. For reasons he couldn’t fully understand, this deeply pleased him. He was one of them now. They still averted their gaze, like they always did, but he was so close he could almost hear their thoughts: Eww, a rusty old robot. Is it lost? Why is it here? Don’t look at it, we might catch whatever robo-disease it has. It might want us to take it home with us. No thanks, I already have a toaster. I don’t need another. Ewwww. Mello chuckled to himself, a low grinding noise that emanated from somewhere deep in his ironclad belly. People were funny. They thought funny things. He quite liked that about them. And they probably thought he was funny, too. Does that mean they like me too, in their own way? Oh, here’s the place! Finally. Mello pushed his way into the bar, hoping he wasn’t wrong. He could check his GPS, but where’s the fun in that? Life is uncertainty. After all, what is more certain than death? Definitely need to write that one down later. She’s a keeper. He strode across the room. Each clanking, rattling step brought this journey closer to its end and closer to the beginning of the next. He shed his tattered cloak, folding and draping it over his arm like a gentleman’s coat as he reached for the door with a clawed hand and gently --too gently for someone who looked like violence incarnate-- pushed it open ever so slightly and peeked inside. Mello quietly nodded, as if silently telling himself, ‘yup, this is the place. My friends are here.’ If he had lips, he would smile. “Pardon,” he said as he sidestepped the female Vaari on his way in. The temptation to pet her was strong, but Mello had learned that lesson before. Three times, actually. He briefly considered a chair before deciding the floor would be more suitable. Mello chose a spot and began to lower himself. Lower, lower, lower, lower… Clang! He collapsed the last foot or so, landing on his metal bum and remained there, with his hands clasped in his lap, awaiting further orders.
"If you'll excuse me, I have somewhere to be right now. In fact, I already seem to be running late. I'll be away for a while, but if you need something done I suggest The Jackal. He’s a bit more picky than I am but he can mostly get the job done properly. For heaven’s sake though, don’t use that hotshot from last time again. People like him give us all a bad name." Ward left the office of his last client and briskly walked through the bazaar. He didn’t like being late. It was unprofessional. But when your client withholds information critical to the job, you have to make sure he knows not to do that again. There was still time, but he wouldn’t be first. He liked being first. Allowed him to look at the face of all the other members as they walked in. People give a lot away when they see you for the first time. He’d have to do without that for now. He walked down the stairs and pushed the heavy door open. First impressions. The Vaari hated everyone in the room. Probably hated everyone else too. The young man at the bar was nervous and hiding something. The Eltheni was harder to read, but seemed eager to please. After all, she’d chosen to sit right next to the boss. A synth trying hard to look pretty. Some expensive ornaments on there. Told exactly squad about her personality though. At least he knew her name. Names often said more about a person than they realised. However, the most interesting character was sitting on the floor, looking around like he’d always been there and belonged in that very spot. He’d heard stories about the Raven back in the day, but this bucket of bolts was not really what he expected. Might have to keep a close eye on that one. “Good, seems like I did not miss the introductions yet. Abel Ward, sniper and all-round assassin. Quite the colourful crowd you have gathered, Siren.”
Siren looked at the assembled group, her face tilting to one side. She had expected there to be one more, though there was an equal chance he had died in a dirty dive bar somewhere far, far away from here, or been attacked in the inky black void that was impossible to patrol. "A renegade synth, an antique, an honour guard of a fallen civilisation, an Eltheni, and a hitman. I had also sent a message to a Gergite and a few others, though it appears that they either have not arrived or are not going to. No matter. This is the H.D.V Crestapol." She stated, the screen on the wall flickering to life and revealing an old eltheni ship. It was four miles long. Much greater than any ship any of them will have seen before. The size was not for combat purposes, but a statement of Eltheni power. Every inch of metal meant more energy required to move it. "The personal ship of The Empress of the former Eltehni Empire, and stolen property." She stated before the image zoomed out, suddenly becoming much, much darker. "This is a black hole." She stated, before looking around at the group once again. "Do not ask me how this situation occurred. I do not know. Any other questions from this presented information may be asked now, otherwise, I shall continue with the presentation."
Delphi sniffed haughtily. "Whoever dared to steal an Eltheni's ship, especially one of the Empress is either incredibly smart or dumb and lucky. Stealing from us is not something you can do easily. What is this thief's name, for he shall die at my hand in the name of our kingdom."
"When you do a job like that, you make absolutely sure luck has nothing to do with it. Your contingencies need contingencies on top of a very good inside source. Bravery and stupidity are both overrated."
Ugh, these guys were so dumb. "Hey Fishface," Ariel slipped in past the Vaari standing awkwardly in the doorway and threw herself down into a space next to the human synth, "his name is Minos... he's a legendary AI... stole a butt load of treasure from the Etlheni government eons ago... not ringing any bells? Did you even read the invite?" The last remark had more venom than intended, but she wanted to make her point. Dumbass Etlhenis. Ha, probably just here to grab up some more slaves. Though she joked her right hand unconsciously slid down to the hilt of her blaster. You could never be too careful.
"Friends," Mello said from his solemn position on the floor, "let us not bicker." He wagged a finger at the tiny human female who had just spoken, before looking to the Elthini. "Your people were robbed quite soundly. We should offer our condolences, not seek to salt old wounds... Very old... very very very old, indeed." He chuckled and it sounded like someone dropping coins down a steel drain pipe. One coin after another after another. Everything about his manner of speaking was slow and drawn out, like the laborious cracking of a glacier creeping down an arctic canyon. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, Miss Fishface, but we are here to steal what was stolen from your people. What was yours is Minos's. What was its, will soon be ours. And what is ours will someday be another's." He shrugged. "If that bothers you, I sincerely apologize."
This old synth was wise, wisdom that Aramis hoped to gain one day. He gently nodded as Mello explained his thoughts to the Elthini. The human next to him though would have given him goosebumps, if he only had that function. At this closeness, he was obviously synth and he knew all too well some humans who used her tone would bash in his not-skull for sport. But for now, he wanted to get on with the brief and forget about this human. Maybe it could be like the old briefs Aramis found his memory kept bringing up, but he doubted it with this already high level of unease. Nod and mumble, that's all his team used to do. "Please, Siren, continue. I am working against time here," he finally said, stroking soft one.
The familiar aroma of human filled the air as a short female brushed part Keraelii. At least a race with a small modicum of respect, in her opinion, will join this little adventure. She side-stepped over to the back wall, getting out of the doorway, and leaned back as she listened. Her arms crossed, and her back pressed lightly on her dual swords at her back. She wanted to watch all of the apparent traveling companions as much as the presentation. See who would be the most trouble. Which begs the question. Why invite a company of this nature? The insult to the Elthini from the female human was most amusing. But it was also telling. Confidence in her intelligence, but lack of respect. Keraelii hated Elthini with all her being, but that didn't let her mouth off. The girl didn't look like a warrior. A traveler, smuggler maybe, considering the crowd here seemed of Keraelii's own unpleasant nature. She must be hiding something more. Time would have to tell. The black hole was also disconcerting at best. How they could, first, make it to the ship, and second, get it out of there were troublesome to Keraelii. And how they took a scan of something hidden by an object which light can't even escape was even more puzzling. Black holes were avoided in all cases. How would we even get near one without feeding the dark star? How did that get there? If the questions weren't asked by others, or shown in the presentation, she would ask at the end. It was just the way she always worked. The Vaari knew that would annoy others, but just didn't really care.
Siren looked to Ariel, seeming to give a nod, though it simply came across as a minor head dip. "Thank you, Miss Ariel for providing context, though referring to associated Eltheni might prove to be an issue later on. Cooperation between all of us will be necessary." The synth stated, before the image zoomed in again, this time focusing exclusively on the ship. After a moment, the image was no longer solid, but instead changed to a wireframe, stark blue lines contrast against the blackness of the background, before a straight line jutted out from it, seeming to aim for the camera. "Upon its discovery, the ejected a pod containing a blueitz device", the standard means for sending information throughout the galaxy instantaneously, "which provided three sets of coordinates." The image zoomed out again, this time to show the galaxy, three green pinpricks of light appearing. "I have already visited one of the locations and found this," she declared, before a compartment on her leg extended, and she withdrew a slim keycard, "we presume that in some way it will grant access to the ship, and that others reside at other locations. It seems that Minos is playing a game."
A game. Aramis wouldn't really say he had an opinion on them in general, but right now he didn't like this one. "So, we are going to those other locations? Is that the mission for now?" he asked Siren. Pia could be standing the charade of a trial at any time. Maybe taking on this job wasn't the best course of action, but the reward would be great. Aramis expected the job to be difficult because of that reason, but the briefing was already unbearable.
"So, we are going to those other locations? Is that the mission for now?" the 'human' said. "So it seems... but things are not always as they seem. Patience, friend," Mello replied lazily. "But... hmmm... I wonder what we will find there. Our beautiful host," he nodded to Siren, whom he must admit was rather well-made, "has already visited one of the three locations. It leads one to wonder why she did not continue on to the other two... what perils she faced at the first... and why one as gilded and adorned as herself would covet Minos's plunder." He rocked with quiet laughter, as if he took pleasure in directing these questions at no one in particular when the person who could answer them was right at the table. "Hmmm... yessss... so many wonders... so many games."
Games? Delphi thought. Who had time to play and plan an elaborate game like this? Only briefly listening to the conversation, Delphi quietly looked around their group. If she had to play a game, her first move would be to disrupt the other teams coordination. It seemed like everyone here, the synth, the human and so forth was here for treasure- just as she was here for treasure and slaves.
Ward decided to stay quiet for now. Some of the people in this room made that hotshot from his previous mission look like a pro. Yet they all survived enough shit long enough to make names for themselves, so they were bound to have their own unique skills. Better to know what they were before he started antagonizing people.
"Thank you, Miss Ariel for providing context, though referring to associated Eltheni might prove to be an issue later on. Cooperation between all of us will be necessary." Ariel had trouble concentrating in the briefing. Siren’s perfect white porcelain face made her stomach sick and all she could think about were clowns, the third scariest beings known to the universe. But worse than that, while Siren spoke the words fell from a face unmoved. Inside the private room, with seedy red velvet curtains blocking away the neon from the bar, Siren’s porcelain face floated menacingly the darkness, lit up by the blue wireframe of the holo ship. It reminded her of a long dead corpse cold in the morgue, somehow summoning the ability to communicate. Telepathically perhaps? Shut up and pay attention, she scolded herself. Yet the feeling of unease would not escape her so easily and Ariel crossed her arms tightly. Thoughts of death were always an ill omen. "…we presume that in some way it will grant access to the ship, and that others reside at other locations. It seems that Minos is playing a game." What’s that about other locations? Jeez it’s weird just watching her talk. Ariel averted her eyes to the holo ship, though it brought little comfort. Synths were supposed to have mouths that moved for this exact reason – just look at the robot human sat next to her. Even the bucket of bolts in the corner had some semblance of a jaw, though it looked to be barely hanging on. As he spoke, Ariel swore she’d seen him before. "But... hmmm... I wonder what we will find there. Our beautiful host, has already visited one of the three locations. It leads one to wonder why she did not continue on to the other two..” Hey yea… “Wait, the robot makes a good point – don’t skip over that.” She leaned further back in the booth and pulled her legs up onto the table crossing them over heavily, the holo ship fizzing for a moment from the disruption. “If you’ve already got one keycard, what’s stopping you getting the rest?” Something felt off about this ornately decorated synth, however considering her recent luck Ariel had little options but to hear Siren out.
Siren turned to Mello, before her head snapped towards Ariel afterwards, before moving between the two, and the light of each eye focusing on one them respectively. "The primary reason is the location of the other two keys. One of them is located within the Molesk sector, a barren mining outpost named Karoon Four, who I have had no previous contact with, however, they've taken an isolationist stance, meaning that actually introducing ourselves will be an issue. I sent out a message to few Molesk privateers, however, none have replied. The other however, is why I invited Delphi. It is placed on a world designated Ajak two, within the territory of an Elpheni warlord who is calling himself The Purifier. He has a particular habit of dissecting synths, hence why I would not a good representative of our cause. There is, however, a final issue." Once again, the image reformed, before pulling out again, this time showing the black hole in full, the eltheni ship being little more than a spec against the background. "After compiling through years of historical Eltheni records, a discovery was made of a piece of technology that could enable such things to happen." The diagram changed again, this time showing a strange, cuboid with a series of ornaments along the side, and a strange sphere floating atop it. "This, is a graviton cannon." Siren stated, seeming to admire the device for a few seconds, before her eyes returned to the group. "When fired at an enemy ship, the spot it impacted would gain in mass at an incredible rate, to the point where the rest of the ship, and any other nearby vessels, are dragged towards it literally tearing it apart. When first created it was classed a highly efficient, if inelegant tool, though an experimental unit was still attached to the Crestapol. Considering it is one of the only tools for gravity manipulation ever made, I believe this to be how Minos is managing to remain in orbit. And at the moment, there were two others in produced that we know of, one of which we need. However, the keys are as important. As such, you will be allowed to vote on which we retrieve first. The Molesk Key, The Eltheni key, or the Graviton Cannon."
While Siren spoke, Mello pulled out his tattered little notebook and began to scribble things inside. The others probably thuoght he was taking notes. That would be very professional of him. But, no. He was writing a list of things he absolutely had to do. Being a synth of considerable age, Mello was very aware of his mortality and determined to 'seize the day,' as the humans say. He might fall apart at any moment and be carted away to that great scrapheap in the sky. (Okay, not really. He was better made than that.) Regardless, one shouldn't waste time. One should always chase one's dreams wholeheartedly, no matter what tomorrow may bring. Mello's To-Do List. - Pet the Vaari. Lightly, sensuously. - Fire that human's big cannon thingy. Just once. Maybe twice. Okay, three times. - Give the human-synth a hug. He needs this dearly. - Make Fishface laugh. She needs this. - Find a tactful way to ask Siren "Is that real gold? Like, really real?" - Frighten the human girl. Need to know if it's possible. - Pet the Vaari. Again. She looks so soft... on the outside. Possible hug candidate. He paused to think and then put away his netebook. "Yes, that will do," Mello said to himself... and then realized the room was silent. Siren had finished and he was the first to speak. "Hmmm..." he groaned. "Pardon, Miss Siren. Would you be so kind as to repeat everything you just said? I was... distracted." He briefly glanced at the Vaari, for some reason, but his eyes quickly returned to Siren. "You are... so shiny. Is that..." Mello shook his head. "Nevermind."
Aramis's lip twitched. Maybe one day he could do that, get lost in a thought and become detached. Or even just get lost in a moment. Getting lost was an impossibility, though as his mind was always right there, two minutes ago and two days away. Stroking soft one who was now perched on Aramis's ear, he knew the most logical option, go to the Eltheni key first, rather than allow himself hope with an easy mission. If he were to die, he would rather do it first. But dying would mean her death. Aramis blinked, hoping he looked as he felt. Though he never liked to explain his thoughts, it felt nice if someone saw them. Aramis opened his mouth ready, checking no one else was going to speak, "Siren here wishes us to pick our first mission, two to retrieve keys, one of which may be dangerous to ourselves," he said nodding to Mello and Siren. "And a mission to retrieve an experimental weapon. I vote for the mission to acquire the Eltheni key, the one I classed as dangerous."
"The way I see it the Eltheni key is actually the least dangerous of the two. An Eltheni warlord is predictable. His actions can be anticipated and plans can be made. The Molesk are an enigma. An unkown factor. We'll have to play it by ear. Depending on which we do first we gain different advantages. If we start out with the Eltheni warlord, we buy ourselves some time to find a Molesk contact, but run the risk of alerting them to our purpose. If we go after the Molesk key first we're flying blind, but we'd have better luck at keeping our our agenda hidden from them. I vote for getting the cannon first though. If any part of this mission leaks out that'll be the hardest to obtain. Besides, the advantages of having your equipment at hand before starting the real adventure far outweigh the minor inconvenience of having to drag an extra weapon around."
