The Cantolia incident: (ACT 1 - The Enemy Of My Enemy)

[L. Declis]

+++Wen'Li+++

As Wen'Li walked out, she picked up a key card from the tray and kept walking. Let the others deal with matters of blood and war, I know my place. I am suprised how bloodthirsty such a group are. I should speak to Sister Adhira'al on these matters, she would understand.

Unaware of the following Sister Adhira'al, she hurried to the medical bay. After years of working in dark churches and back-water ships, an NEA sponsored medical bay was something she was damn near excited to see.

There it was. By the eye of most medics, it was probably a little bit small and a little bit run down. Through the eyes of someone who had spent their life on a planet of nuclear winter, it was a glorious gleaming silver, with seven beds lined with cotton and linen neatly tucked on one wall, the metal grating polished to a shean, multiple sets of clean medical tools arranged in cupboards, closets and in drawers (painted a medical white). There was a small office for her to relax in and keep records, in which she found several keys.

I wonder where the orderlies are? Or do I have to ask for one or two of them? I'll ask tomorrow She spotted a side door leading to a surgical suite, and sighed in pleasure. This was a place she could work Zaraqusan magic.

Her message chip beeped, and she pulled out the message. Typical, she thought, All promises and no return address. How could she reply? It's not a conversation, it's lazy seduction . A noise in the main medical hall surprised her. Sister Adhira'al had arrived. She closed the message and slipped the chip into her belt to deal with later, and she opened the doors, the message already forgotten.

I wonder how many will come? I hope not to have to nag, this is an official mission, not a play group .
In this place, regardless of the rest of the ship, she was in charge. She knew not war, but she knew healing.

She had also forgotten to eat in her excitement.

 

[Evrant-Knight]

- - - VELKA - - - ​

Some Time Ago...

Current Location: Unknown Sector, Andromeda Station, Aboard The "Endless Sky" Light Gunship
Current Local Time: Unknown

Life aboard a space station was something of a novelty for Velka, as she would spend most of her time cruising about space looking for bounties with which to claim on. For the last month she had spent on-board Andromeda Station after a bounty went awry, which meant Velka had to take some time off to recuperate. In that time she had helped with a few problems the station had of its own. But now, she thought, was the time to leave and carry on looking for work.

Down in the engineering bay of the Endless lay a workbench, on it, was Velka's sniper rifle carefully disassembled, with the Machina herself hunched over it working on calibrating the kinetic dispersal unit, a device which allowed the weapon to function without the need for a propellant. She had just about got the unit into place, when the holographic communicator next to her started beeping.

"Tysh ed." [Damn it.] Said Velka in her native tongue with a heavy sigh as she laid the unit down on the table, leaning back in her chair before pushing the accept button.

"Who is it?" She then asked in a disgruntled manner, switching to Galactic Standard, otherwise known as Basic.

"Ah Velka, and a fine hello too if I might add. Hope I wasn't interrupting anything?" Snarkily asked Veng, a mysterious human, well, Velka assumed he was human, someone who spoke only through vid-calls, never meeting face to face, and one who had found jobs for Velka in the past.

"I take it by this interruption Veng, that you have found another bounty for me?" Asked the Machina with her arms crossed.

"Like there'd be any other reason why I would contact you. Unless of course it was for a date. You know my previous offer is..."

"As you mon-keigh say, cut to the chase Veng, tell me about this bounty. You know your frivolous attempts to woo me in the past haven't beared fruit."

"Fine, fine Velka, I understand, but I'll get you one day. Anyway, to business. The bounty of one Vulrick Ra'gaard, Captain of the Black Guard, has recently been upgraded to a high value priority due to an undisclosed incident, if the payout for him weren't already good, can't imagine what this incident was that upped things. Should see the rap sheet on this guy and his little gang of pirates." Remarked Veng in his usual headstrong and cocksure tone of voice.

"Sources indicate that he has a compound on the planet Sjito in the Acrohan Sector. A lovely little fishing world, if you like your fishing to be a stone's throw away from high crime rates and abject poverty. Whilst there is a NEA presence, it's widely believed to be very corrupt and prone to bribery, so don't expect to get much help out of them, chances are some of them are in Ra'gaard's own pocket. I'm sending what information that my contacts can gather on Ra'gaard and the Black Guard itself to you now, you might be able to find some kind of weakness to exploit amongst them." As he spoke, Velka was getting notifications about received documents. She'd review these later.

"I'd be careful about his bodyguard Brock if I were you, this Auslav is dangerous even by his own species' standards, so do be careful dear Velka, I'd hate to lose one of my most important customers. Whilst there isn't an active bounty on this one, I'd imagine there'd be those who would pay you if you did bring him in." Said Veng, not-so subtly hinting at Velka to do something.

"Anyway, get yourself over to Sjito, and see if you can't end a pirate gang whilst your there. Contact me when the job is done, and I'll arrange payment, with of course my finder's fee already taken in account. Farewell Velka. Happy Hunting." He said, signing off.

Velka thought about this for a few moments as she looked through some of the information that Veng had sent her. According to this, it would be a very difficult task to accomplish on her own; she may have to enquire about some assistance on this one. NEA Police were unlikely to be of any help, perhaps a little persuasion would be called for. Still strategy could wait till she arrived on site and did some reconnaissance. That being said, she made her way to the flight deck of the Endless Sky, punched in the co-ordinates to Sjito and set off on another bounty.

One that, whilst she didn't know then, would have an interesting outcome.

 

[Tortilla the Hun]

Siibii was finishing his pouch of berries just as the majority of the team dispersed. Meanwhile Taak was doing a little digesting of his own, though it was a mental digestion. It was an interesting assignment for a 'tryout' of this group, especially since the archivist had no experience dealing with a hostage situation and was left to consider his role in the matter. This was clearly meant to test unit cohesion, and in that area it was anyone's guess how well that would work. While there was an array of skills among them, it was evident that for the most part no one knew each other and by extension how best to supplement these skills. Perhaps that was an issue that would be addressed in the briefing, but in the meantime it couldn't hurt to be better acquainted with the other members. So Taak collected his things, let Siibii rest on his shoulders, claimed his security pass and made for the mess hall as some of the others did.

The option of turning down the offer to find work that better suited his skills and interests loomed in Taak's mind. While the money this would lead to was nice, and the message certainly talked up the experience, money and adventurous employment were hardly difficult to find. But these thoughts were quickly put to rest after reading the message he'd just received on his HoloBrace. It certainly made the thought of sticking around more compelling. He figured it couldn't hurt to wait until he heard more before seriously ruminating on the idea of finding other prospects.

Taak reached the cafeteria without incident and, when inquiring about the available food choices, was surprised to hear that they had squid and watercress on board. It seemed that Marcus wasn't kidding about accommodating the more diverse tastes. The archivist had already made his request and was waiting for his meal when he heard the Kirickqk speak up about his straw. Such moments always brought a smile to the Niilan's face. Moments when something so elementary and seemingly mundane is realized for the true marvel it is. "With praise like that, you mightn't be surprised to learn that there existed civilizations, dating back millennia upon millennia, that prized drinking straws so highly, they were an item of luxury made from gold; ornate and inlaid with precious stones."

 

[Redryhno]

"With praise like that, you mightn't be surprised to learn that there existed civilizations, dating back millennia upon millennia, that prized drinking straws so highly, they were an item of luxury made from gold; ornate and inlaid with precious stones."

With that comment, Van pulled his true face out of his shell and regarded the Niilan before him with every set of eyes, blinking before stretching it out further to stop close-by him, the length of his neck becoming very apparent. Chittering along, the drone followed and translated.

"What a waste, why create something out of another material that cannot competently serve the intended purpose?"

Retreating again to his shell, he continued, the voice of the drone clashing with the strange structure of the Kirickqk,"It would seem our employers are not prepared for our arrival however. Time is a special commodity to those that are not inhabitants of my home I've been told, what do you believe led to this?"

 

[Deu Sex]

Jay was aboard some backwater, moonborne cargo station in the Pegasus sector when he received the transmission. The boy had been working oddjobs around the station for a month. Nothing resembling the steady salary he used to make back on Sethlans, but the conditions were lightyears safer. He got paid a little by the quartermaster each time he repaired something, tuned up something or checked on something when none of the local stevedores knew how to so themselves. Which happened a lot. Jay figured most of these cheap-labour, low-experience knuckleheads couldn't tell a stud from a bolt if their lives depended on it. He was surprised the station had managed to function for so long without him.

He'd just finished repair an electric panel that got crushed in by a crate swinging into it at the wrong angle, taking out half the power in the #3 cargo port. Jay scanned the damages with his cyborg eye, cut the mangled wires, replaced them with new coil, did some connectivity tests with the multitool that caused enough sparks to fly out that the local workers got concerned, then screwed a fresh metal panel over it once power was restored.

Jay checked the message on his PDA as he left the port. Once we finished reading said message, he instantly started heading over to his room. There was a grin on his face, a spur in his step and a shimmer in his one eye. A worker noticed this as he walked by.

"Hey Jay, what's gotten into ya? Look as if ya jus-"

Jay walked by without responding, instead muttering "3 million credits" to himself over and over. When he reached his room, he immediately started bagging his things. Not much beyond the essentials - just some spare tools, power cells, the hover-crate that held his hardsuit and his harmonica.

After quickly packing, Jay made his way back to the port. He didn't bother seeing the quartermaster to say his goodbyes, simply sending her a message via PDA that read; "I must go now. There's 3 million credits waiting for me." He paid a large handful of credits to one of the shippers for a one-way trip to the Dun-Karrack sector.

Jay rested in the back of the cargo ship as it took off from the station. He played some Blues music on his harmonica, thinking about what he would do with 3 million credits, and eagerly looking forward to getting on the Adalon.

 

[L. Declis]

+++Wen'Li+++

After seeing multiple people in the medibay, Wen'Li locks the door and prepares to clean up.

In a pile of papers on her desk, and not for the first time this adventure, Wen'Li falls asleep at her desk. Her stomach growls lazily in hunger.

The lights flicker and the various machines hum. To her future chargrin, she begins to drool on some sheets, and spilled ink drips onto the floor to be scrubbed up furiously in the morning.

 

[Kaboose the Moose]

[HEADING=2]1030hrs, CNS Adalon[/HEADING]​

Marcus watched from his podium as the crew gathered into the conference room, in front of him was a stack of dossiers hastily scattered around containing pictures, maps and reports from all across NEA space. Several coffee cups, his slightly disheveled appearance and the bags under his eyes betrayed the hectic and sleepless schedule of the last 24hrs. "Welcome back" he began in a tired voice as the last members grabbed their seat "There have been some developments while you have been away regarding Operation Windsor...but first things first, some housekeeping affairs" He motioned to Wen'Li "We are still gathering the data you requested about the hostages. Expect them to be sent to your communication chip en route to your mission". "Your ship for this expedition will be the freighter, Dragonfly, kindly provided to us by the Free Runner contingent of the Council. Your pilot should be update in its functionality and navigation. I trust the dossier you were sent is satisfactory?" he turned to look at Mar. "The ship is being fueled as we speak and armed for the mission. Captain Adams and his XO, Felina will be joining you for mission and will be assisting you in an advisory capacity. They are your superior officers while off this ship and are instructed to only intervene in an emergency and will primarily be observing and monitoring your progress. We will be taking aboard their reports and evaluations for the Cantolia expedition..so..don't disappoint them." he paused one more time to go over some notes

"Now.." he said almost hesitantly "our spies have reported increased activity in the compound of the Black Guards over the last three hours. We have had limited success in hacking their comms and so have no exact idea as to what has triggered this event. We noticed a small convoy of trucks come in and out of the complex over the last hour and our aerial drones spotted at least one of the hostages, the mayor, being forced into one of these trucks. We do not know if the other two hostages are also in similar trucks or remain in the compound..but we lost track of the transport convoy in the thick forest canopy. Their location is currently unknown" he sighed and began rubbing his tired eyes "As of now, we are in the dark..but the mission will still go on" he turned to hand each member a dossier labeled 'The Black Guards' "This dossier contains some basic information about your target and the surrounding region, known info about the hostages and our recommendations in terms of tactics. Our intel still places the leader of the Black Guards, Vulrick, in the compound. It is your primary objective to find the hostages and rescue them, wherever they may be. Secondary is the capture of Vulrick Ra'gaard and his henchmen Brock. If you cannot capture them alive..we will accept their deaths" He motioned for Captain Adam, who was observing from the far corner of the room, to step up. "Captain Adam will take it from here"

[hr]

"Ladies and Gentleman" Adam began looking at the faces before him "This is a first for a lot of us I imagine. It's my first time working for the NEA and my first to take command of such a large crew. However, I don't see why this should stop up from greatness. All we need is a good plan and good teamwork and we should be back here in one piece" he turned to the hologram projector which at a flick of a button showed the familiar aerial view of the compound. "This" he said pointing "is where we know Vulrick and his main forces to be located" He flicked a switch and the projector now showed an aerial view of a medium sized city by the coast "this is Neagrad. There should be some info on it in the dossier provided. It's the largest city in Seylin and the nearest city to the Compound which is located in the forest North of the city. I'd wager this is a good place for us to setdown and do some reconnaissance before tackling the compound. A city of this size would have noticed that convoy come through and some people may even have some info on either the hostages or the target for us, or if we are really lucky, some may even know how to get into the compound - presuming we ask nicely or with some persuasion. Keep in mind though the NEA has informed us that the local law enforcement is quite corrupt and most likely on the take by Vulrick's militia, so we should keep a low profile when out and about the town."

"Since we don't know the actual whereabouts of the hostages, sleuthing that out should be our first priority. Neagrad has the only spaceport on the continent and any pirate ship laden with stolen merchandise and hostages has to land here if it intends on offloading its wares. So someone in the city might have glimpsed our hostages or overheard something. Also, as the only major city close to the compound with several large bars, I'd wager that some recently paid grunt looking to have a good time might have wandered around blabbing some juicy tales to the patrons. If we are really lucky maybe we'll stumble on to one of those grunts ourselves...who...with a bit of persuasion might offer us some intel" Adam turned to look over a clipboard containing various papers

"We still are quite a ways away from having a plan to storm the compound but we don't need to worry about it till we have boots on the ground in Sjito. As long as we maintain a decent cover story, like we are Free Runners who have finished an important cargo run, we should be relatively... Adam eyed the Aaken "inconspicuous" he concluded "Once we have some intel that we can put to use, we can reconvene and work out how to divide the team and manage it" Adam turned to Marcus "I think that's it"

Marcus nodded as he took his place next to Adam "This is it boys and girls, unless you have any further questions make your way to Deck 01. There will be signs leading to Hanger deck B and the Dragonfly. Please grab all your gear, board the spacecraft and await departure clearance from ground crew and your pilot. Good luck!"

"Oh, Mr Taak?" Marcus said suddenly as the crowd began to disperse. "Can I have a word with you in private if you please?" he motioned for the Archivist to the corner of the conference room.

[hr]

Spoiler: Hostage info

Three hostages were abducted from the FMS: Swordfish near Achrohan space approximately 36 hours ago.

1) Mrs. Delsia Toulietta of the Dominion;

CEO of BlueZericon, a large telecommunications industry based on Leasarvo, Sakkara sector. She is human, aged 41, 5'7" in height, pale white skin, green eyes and blond hair. She was wearing an official suit containing her BlueZericon ID with her at the time of the abduction. She also had her gold wedding ring on her ring finger that is set with precious green gems and white-gold earnings.

2)Mr. Fenson O'Connor of the NEA;

CEO Skullen Enterprises, a robotics company in Mekin II, Naiobe sector. He is human, aged 37, 6'1" in height, tanned skin, blue eyes and brown hair, clean shaven. Mr. Fenson has undergone cybernetic augmentation in the past replacing some of his human limbs and features; his feet are titanium prosthetics reinforced with a carbon-ceramic skeleton and colored dark red with a flame motif. His ears are augmented and altered to become pointed at the ends, the augmentation itself is skin colored. It is known that Mr. Fenson had his personal communication device on him at the time of abduction.

3)Mr. Axrook of the NEA;

Mayor of New Hope, a satellite of the planet Epton in Naiobe secotor. He is Auslav, 6'10 in height with dark green skin mottled with black scales. He bears several anatomical similarities with most of his lizard-folk ilk, including tail, claws and sharp teeth. Mr. Axrook was in casual wear, a blue shirt and black pants at the time of abduction. He is fluent in both common and Ausli, the native tongue of the Auslan

Spoiler: Dragonfly

 

[DarkRawen]

It was apparent that someone had been tipped off that the Aaken would be coming, as a human greeted it, telling it to make its way over to the corner of the cafeteria and wait. The smell of meat -any kind of meat, even those that other did not touch- made it eager, its tail going back and forth as it smelled the different kinds of leftovers. Someone had once asked Raed if it minded getting leftovers for its meals, but honestly, no one else had eaten it. Besides, the stickier, more tangled parts of the meat was the best.

I wonder what kind.

it knew that they did not serve the meat of any sentient It had been to a place where it really smelled as if the chefs cooked with the wrong kind of meat, and told its handler at the time, and the owners and chefs had been arrested. At the time, Raed was far too young to understand what was going on, and it knew that Aaken were different. It could eat the wrong kind of meat... if it got the authorization to do so, of course.

Then a great deal of food was placed in front of it, and, even with the chip, it could barely contain itself till the server couldn't be smelled anymore. Unlike some of the others, Raed finished his food without a word, quickly wolfing the contents down in large bites. Some growls escaped it, but only directed at those who might get a little too close a little too quickly.

My food.

When it finished, it found a napkin on a nearby table -they smelled of paper- and cleaned its face and jaws, hoping that it was enough not to scare the doctor half to death, and went on to talk to her. Stopping only for the briefest moment -an electronic message getting spoken into its ear, and its alone- Raed did not understand it completely, or rather, what the purpose was.

Who? And... why?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

After the medical examination, Raed had gone to its room and put on the device that translated pictures into its ears, describing it. Some descriptions were still pointless, but it helped the Aaken tell time and read signs, and it had ended up in the meeting room at the right time. This time, it understood a lot more of what was going on, although, together with the smells and sounds from before, the visual descriptions were almost overwhelming for the poor Aaken, so many messages being told at once. With this many people too, out in the field it was actually better, because the "visual" input fit with what it could already hear and sense.

Regardless, it understood that they had to get the hostages, and defeat the bad guys. Raed could do that. The wandering around and asking people, however... it was a good thing that there were more people going than Raed.

"This is it boys and girls, unless you have any further questions make your way to Deck 01. There will be signs leading to Hanger deck B and the Dragonfly. Please grab all your gear, board the spacecraft and await departure clearance from ground crew and your pilot. Good luck!"

"Deck one," Raed chimed, and went to get its gear, happy that it could read the signs now, and therefore found its room a lot easier. Getting the gear and putting that it needed to put on, Raed made its way to the Dragonfly, partly following the signs -nose as close to them as possible so that the visual translator would get it completely correct- and partly following the others.

 

[Evrant-Knight]

- - - VELKA - - - ​

Approximately Twelve Ahead of CNS Adalon

Current Location: Acrohan Sector, Planet Sjito, Over The Skies Of Neagrad
Current Local Time: 11:30 PM

During the transit between Andromeda Station and Sjito, Velka had extensively gone over the files that Veng provided her. The dense forests surrounding the Black Guard's compound will have made any sort of attempt to land near it impossible, especially if they had anti-air fire protecting the base itself. This would mean she'd have to make the trek there on foot, unless she commandeered a vehicle of some-kind.

By all accounts the safest place to land would be the city of Neagrad itself, as it had the only space-port close enough to the compound. There the possibility emerged that the Black Guard might have a small outpost there to keep an eye on operations within the city, as it provided the most strategic advantage for their kind of work. Velka had already taken into consideration the fact that she might have to get her hands dirty in order to get any viable intel, and the best place to get intel of an illicit kind would be a bar.

As the Endless Sky approached the space-port, a flashing red light appeared on the command console as an automated voice was heard over the intercom.

"Attention. Incoming Transmission From Neagrad Space Port."

"Attention unidentified vessel. This is Security Officer Stukov of Neagrad Space Port. Please state your intentions or otherwise leave the system. Failure to comply will result in detainment and further investigation."

"Understood Officer Stukov. This is Captain Velka of the Endless Sky requesting permission to land with the intent of business. Security code PKC-1138." It was then that the comm-link went silent as Stukov busied himself with the authorization. A few moments later he was back on.

"Roger that Endless Sky. You have been cleared for arrival. Proceed to the following landing pad marked out on your HUD. Watch yourself and don't make trouble whilst you're here."

After that, Velka proceeded to follow the plotted course and headed towards the landing pad, conveniently there were lights to guide her in. A couple of minuted later, Velka was docked and then departed from the Endless Sky with her M-CEW 45 Compact SMG holstered and the hood of her greatcoat pulled up; didn't want to attract any unnecessary attention just yet.

 

[Tortilla the Hun]

[HEADING=3]0400hrs[/HEADING]

"What a waste, why create something out of another material that cannot competently serve the intended purpose?"

"Like many symbols of luxury," Taak began, internally wondering which of the several sets of the Kirickqk's eyes his should meet. Siibii, more than slightly disturbed by the sudden movement of the spider-like being, chittered nervously and moved to Taak's pack to keep itself at least partially from Van's gaze. Figuring it to be most proper to look to the most humanoid set of eyes, the archivist focused on those as he continued. "I doubt they were concerned solely with the utility."

"It would seem our employers are not prepared for our arrival however. Time is a special commodity to those that are not inhabitants of my home I've been told, what do you believe led to this?"

"For the lack of preparation?" The Niilan considered. "Perhaps our employers weren't holding all the cards when we were assembled, and their dearth of information is to blame for the previous teams' lack of success. If that's the case, this briefing might give us a leg up on this 'test' run. Or maybe some of the information we'll be briefed on is sensitive, and they're merely waiting for us to make a decision on whether we'll stay or leave in search of other work."

There was a small chime from the serving counter that caught Taak's attention. He looked and saw a tray with his grilled squid sitting presentably with some watercress on a plate. He turned back towards the Kirickqk to politely close the conversation with a smile. "Regardless, let's hope that this was merely a mishap and that they'll be better prepared once we've really got to work. But for now, breakfast."



[HEADING=3]1030hrs[/HEADING]

Throughout the briefing, Taak listened closely to absorb the information, meanwhile flipping through the dossier. They seemed to have a good handle on the situation, at least in regards to the approach. Surveillance was hardly a bad idea. With what he knew of pirates, Taak supposed the hostages were likely as good as dead if the pirates caught wind of them. As for the capture of Vulrick and Brock, it would be most ideal to have them cornered before attempting that. The Niilan wasn't opposed to the idea of killing them. Not personally, but if it was came to it, better the pirates die than one of his colleagues.

In no time at all, the meeting was adjourned and preparation was transitioning into action. He gathered his documents and made for the door when he was addressed. "Oh, Mr Taak? Can I have a word with you in private if you please?"

Taak looked curiously to Marcus. "Certainly," he answered, adding politely as he sauntered over to the corner, "and just Taak is fine. Though if you insist on formality, 'Mr Saalii' would be preferable. How may I be of assistance?"

 

[Demonjazz]

Apollo had listened much more attentively to this speech than he did the last one. Occasionally a jotting down something on a notepad he found somewhere. A quite amazing sight was that Apollo was out of his armour which was stuffed into a backpack he was wearing. The marine took it off cause this was supposed to be a stealth mission, but he refused to not have it on the drop ship with him. He was notably distressed about this despite the fact that he hadn't worn it since he was last on duty, months ago. He was constantly shifting in his seat like he couldn't find any comfortable way to sit in it. The seat creaked constantly under the weight of Apollo. Those types of creaks that one can only make when not trying to make them. After the briefing was over Apollo was absolutely elated to get out of the chair, and did a smart salute to Adam and said "Sir, Yes, Sir! Good luck to you too, may you serve besides Doomguy in your next life!!" Afterwards Apollo stood even more awkwardly than he sat occasionally walking place or doing small dances to 'Warm up his legs' as he said.

 

[L. Declis]

+++Wen'Li+++

As she listened to the debrief, she found herself catching the eye of a few of her assembled crew and nodding. Alien or not, none tried to kill her and at least she had some bond with some of them.

She tried to ignore the constant creaking of a chair, but as she looked over Master Apollo and thought about what she had learned... only her and Zara would know those secrets. Poor man. She made a small bow to Master Ta'ak as she entered; a sign of respect between civilised species, and he seemed civilised enough.

Wen'Li nodded at the mention of the files being prepared for it, but it did little good now. She could smile in acknowldgement but hope didn't fill the hand as much as spit, as the old Terran joke said. She needed to find another one of those joke books.

Sister Mei raised her hand again. "Is there any real advantage to keeping them alive? It seems to be the consensus among the group that death is preferable. Aren't you just adding complications? Or is there some kind of advantage to their lives beyond morality and justice?" Here I am, arguing for the lives of pirates. Well, it is for Zaraqusa to decide those who should die and those who should be spared, and no one else. If I must stand alone for the lives of these pirates, I will.

"Another thought, Master Adam. If he is not expecting us, as is said according to these files, and he is such a deadly warrior, then poisoning his food seems a better option than ever. Even the bravest warrior who shits blood and weeps in pain like a girl will lose face in front of his followers." She gave a shrug, trying to ignore the looks that people give a healer with a habit of suggesting poison. If anything, she was merely suggesting a sleeping powder to be mixed with his food.

One last question. "Why were high ranking members of the NEA and the Na'Daaash Dominion meeting alone with no security? Where is their security now? Can we rendevous?"

At the end of the speech, Master Apollo jumped up, saluted Master Adam and danced off, out of armour. Seemed I wasn't the only one to think of such things. She considered talking to Master Ta'ak, but he was quickly in a conversation with Master Adam. She was the familiar form of Sister Adira'al and moved over.

"My sister," Wen'Li gave her customary deep bow as one does to a Templar, "I plan to visit the local church today. I imagine that they'll have their own network of information that either I or you, Zara willing, will learn something through. If nothing else, we can give them our tales to remember should we fall in battle. I hope you'll come with me."

She was only wearing her robe today. There was to be no fighting today, and there were better fghters even if there was going to be. A small backpack on her back carried some files, vials of various chemicals of healing, toxing, anti-toxing, and various medical equipment, as well as "puretongue", a special liquid that loosens the tongue of any human leaving them unable to lie for a few hours; an old trick of the Sisterhood to help confession.
An even smaller pouch hidden around her ankle contained an emergency medical pack, complete with her stasis scalpel, a few medigels to stop bleeding, a needle and a pair of scissors, a single dose of anti-tox and a few leaves of a plant which killed pain. While she removed a few of her religious tokens and her armour, her robe, scarf and necklace of Zaraqusa remained as she could no more leave behind her identity as a Sister than forget her head.

She walked over to the Kirickqk before he left the room; "Master Van, regarding the major cybernetic reconstruction of some of the hostages. I have no such knowledge on how to deal with them. If they are damaged and threaten my patient, I shall need you nearby to help either remove them or repair them. I know of the major dangers of leaking into the blood, or possible eletrical discharge that may happen if someone uninitiated were to recklessly tamper with them. Please be ready for surgery if it is needed." She bowed and walked away, before turning back.

"And I still need a medical check from you before we go. I may know Kirickqk, but I don't know you, and I am not treating Kirickqk, I am treating you." She seemed happy with that train of phrase, and gave a small nod and a pressed smile before leaving the room.

She hurried to find the lizard dog before he could leave, and saw a scaled tale disappear around the corner. "Raed," she came behind him, careful not to startle him. She knew now he was blind effectively and as far as IQ goes, an animal compared to humans. Either way, he was little more than a child in mind, and seemed as out as place as her.

"Raed", she said again, "I would ask you to accompany me on this planet. I can be your eyes and voice, if you'll be my guardian for our time off ship."

 

[DarkRawen]

Raed had already sensed the doctor when she spoke to it. It was difficult not to, even with a chip installed into its head, instincts kept it on edge for most of the time. Smell everything, listen closely, perhaps there is an enemy just waiting around the corner. This wasn't an enemy, though.

"Raed,"

Turning towards the sound of her voice, Raed sat down, waiting for her to continue. It wondered if she had something more to add about the medical examination... what if she would want to put it in the x-ray machine? The device that translated vision to words spoke, Free Runner, human, female. It could not tell Raed much more of worth, but it spoke of colours and clothes.

"Raed. I would ask you to accompany me on this planet. I can be your eyes and voice, if you'll be my guardian for our time off ship."

Raed got a little closer, carefully, trying not to frighten her. It had sensed that she was acting a little odd around the Aaken, the sound of careful steps and a warning. "Don't need eyes... need voice. Better voice, one with more words. Need someone to reassure, people get scared." Then it nodded, a human gesture, but one it had been taught when getting disciplined as a child. "Yes. Can protect doctor. Be good field agent, protect healer, sense danger."

 

[Evrant-Knight]

- - - VELKA - - - ​

Current Location: Acrohan Sector, Planet Sjito, City of Neagrad - (Blue Jay's Bar)
Current Local Time: 11:55 PM

Despite it nearly being midnight, Velka was surprised that the bar she ended up at was still busy serving customers, no doubt it'd continued till the early hours of the morning. The reason that she ended up at this place was from a rumour she had overhead at the space port, stating that this place was one of the few local watering holes that low-ranking members of the Black Guard would often frequent. Velka hoped this was right, otherwise it would have been a wasted journey.

As for the bar itself, suffice to say it wasn't what you'd call a high-class establishment, but it wasn't a complete hive of scum or villainy either; though some of it's patrons you'd more likely find in a less reputable place than this. Remarkably the place was large enough to allow all of Velka's seven foot frame in, so it earned a plus in her book for the time being.

Making her way in, Velka found a spare seat up by the counter, all the while keeping an eye out for any signs of the Black Guard, but also if anyone was watching her. Eventually the barman made his way over to her. Human he was, old looking by their standards, but still possessing much of his hair, although by this point it mostly grey, yet his moustache was rather well kept.

"Well howdy there stranger. Been a while since I've seen a new face round here. The names Clayton, what can I get for you... Miss." Said the barman in a husky sounding voice whilst still sounding pleasant, pausing for a moment to look under the hood. His expression was one of mild surprise.

"Whisky if you please. Take it you do not get a whole lot of women in here then?" Velka asked, casually drumming her fingers on the counter, each producing a metallic sounding tap.

"Far from it, we get plenty through, just none like you before."

"Understandable. My kind tends to keep to itself, that is not to say there are not exceptions. Yours truly for example. Anyway, whiskey, if you please." Velka then placed a few coins on the counter.

"Coming right up." Clayton took the coins before leaving briefly. Whilst she waited, Velka looked over her shoulder to see if she could spot anyone potentially useful. To her surprise, should found a couple of Black Guard grunts laughing it up at a table in the far corner, their uniforms, ramshackle as they were, matching the description that the intel provided. Moments later, Clayton returned.

"There you go Miss. Just the shot or the whole bottle?"

"The bottle please." Velka replied as a shot was poured and some more money changed hands.

"So, if you don't mind me asking, what you doing on Sjito?"

"Business. There are some people here I'm looking for. Don't suppose you could..." Velka was about to continue, but was interrupted by the Black Guard grunts letting out a particularly hearty laugh.

"They seem to be enjoying themselves." She remarked, looking back towards Clayton.

"That they are. Local pirate gang by the name of the Black Guard. Heard they scored big not too long ago, something involving a hijack I think. Between you and me, nothing but a problem." Replied the aged barman quietly, clearly irritated by their behaviour.

"Why do you not do something then?"

"Can't. They know people you see. I do something, chances are it ain't going to end well for me."

"Then perhaps someone else should." Replied the Machina, hinting towards an intent.

"Well, to whoever does, I say, good luck. Enjoy your drink Miss." With that, he went off to tend to the next customer. Velka meanwhile sat and wait for an opportunity, trying her best to blend in.

 

[Terratina.]

[HEADING=3]0400 Hrs[/HEADING]​

The medical inspection done, Adhira'al managed to get a decent meal consisting of decaying vegetation and insects then retreated into her designated quarters to meditate, to keep her mind focused on all-important equilibrium. All thoughts left her mind except five simple words "Kshkshyms, cfuvroniv shu'ul mizil aakraab nydar Zaraquasa."[footnote]"Scales and claws, forever entwined under Zaraqusa." -- Akra Scriptures of Zaraqusa, 3:11 Szohmereil, loosely translated from the Akra language to Common by the scholar Ghriqz'yk. [/footnote]

After all, it was best to ensure that she truly was a servant of Zaraqusa. Her belief had be sharpened and honed as much as any sword; even hardened zealots could fall. The Akrav was a weapon of the faith, however, she was not a mindless one. Fallen Templars were sad, twised things, after all, who thought they still served Zaraqusa when they were unknowingly doing the opposite. Hence the chanting. Those words reminded Adhira'al that, as a Templar, she held both the scale and the sword in her claws.

Though, as pious as Adhira'al was, thoughts keep interrupting her meditation. Just how long was since her chitinous claws had been taken away from her, ripped from their joints and rendered useless? Almost a short lifetime ago. Still, she could remember it like it was yesterday, and remember to ensure no one took anything away from her again.

[HEADING=3]1030 Hrs[/HEADING]​

Soon enough the meditation turned into sleep, but the nap was rather short. Without wasting any time, Adhira'al went to the briefing room to be talked at again. The NEA loved its speeches and briefings, in contrast to the quiet messages and data-packets the Church of Zaraqusa sent their Templars. Still, from what she gathered, the assault wouldn't start just yet. They had to gather the one thing they lacked: information. Adhira'al couldn't help but bring one thing up. Raising a claw to get some attention, she said, "If we are to be undercover, that poses a problem. My... allegiance is quite clear. Even if we pose as Freelancers."

Surely there would be a way to disguise the engraved white text on her chitin. Part of Adhira'al disliked having to hide her proud belief but if it was neccessary... 'Lies and truth.'

Suddenly Wen'Li caught the Akrav's attenion, "My sister, I plan to visit the local church today. I imagine that they'll have their own network of information that either I or you, Zara willing, will learn something through. If nothing else, we can give them our tales to remember should we fall in battle. I hope you'll come with me."

"Of course." Adhira'al bowed back.

Without further ado, she then got on the Dragonfly.

 

[Texas Joker 52]

= MAR =​

Location: Aboard the CNS Adalon, Various Hallways
Local Time: ~0420 Hours

Once the meeting was adjourned, Mar left for the prospect of food as well as to get that medical check-up out of the way. She didn't like the idea of taking care of it while on the ship that the Navy was providing. In fact, as she looked it over on a datapad clutched in her false-hands, she had to nod to herself. It wasn't pretty, and it wasn't an exceptional ship, but it was not bad either. Fast, agile, built for durability and long-hauling. It would do pretty well. But the dumbfire missiles would be tricky to use.

As she stepped into the cafeteria, she tucked the datapad into her suit before promptly roaming the selection of food. As was typical of most other races in the NEA, most, if not all, of the meat was cooked already. With a scowl, she walked up to the person who was serving food to the Marine and Naval personnel on board.

"Hi. Look, I know I'm not part of the crew, but I've noticed that all the meat you have? Pre-cooked. I don't suppose you have any steaks or any other meat that isn't?" she asked, making sure to smile politely.

The server, an Auslav who currently looked at her with trepidation hesitated.

After a moment, Mar simply added, "Or else I could eat you. Pretty clear your meat isn't cooked."

That was enough to make the Auslav's eyes narrow before slowly turning to get what she wanted.

"Thank you. And remember, not cooked! Frozen doesn't count either!" she called out.

[hr]

Location: Aboard the CNS Adalon, Conference Room A
Local Time: ~1035 Hours

After having gorged herself on as much raw meat as she could stomach, grabbing some supplies from the Devil-Fish, and then stopping off to see the human doctor for a medical exam, she made her way back to the Conference room in time for the next meeting. She had made sure to take the time and familiarize herself with the datapacket that they gave her on the ship that would be used for the mission, as well as the possible routes they could use to get to their target. Once she sat down, one of the human officers from before began to speak.

"Welcome back There have been some developments while you have been away regarding Operation Windsor...but first things first, some housekeeping affairs. We are still gathering the data you requested about the hostages. Expect them to be sent to your communication chip en route to your mission. Your ship for this expedition will be the freighter, Dragonfly, kindly provided to us by the Free Runner contingent of the Council. Your pilot should be update in its functionality and navigation. I trust the dossier you were sent is satisfactory?"

"Yes, they are. I shouldn't have a problem flying her." Mar said promptly.

He went on to tell them that spies had noticed pirates becoming more active, including convoys of trucks going to and from the compound. Apparently, one of the hostages had been shoved into it, but no reports on the other two. He included dossiers on the targets, hostage information and recommended tactics, and went on to say that beyond rescuing the hostages, they wanted the pirate's leader and lackey alive, if possible.

The doctor was the first to voice her concerns about that.

"Is there any real advantage to keeping them alive? It seems to be the consensus among the group that death is preferable. Aren't you just adding complications? Or is there some kind of advantage to their lives beyond morality and justice?"

"I suppose they could always be interrogated, find out where the rest of their pirate friends are. Flush them out." she suggested with a non-committal shrug.

She kept quiet however as Captain Adam, the man who would be leading the expedition proper, began to explain the details of the plan. It mainly consisted of the fact that, while they knew where the bulk of the pirates were, they still weren't sure about the hostages and where they were. So their best bet was to go to the nearest city with a spaceport, Neagrad, and investigate, questioning the locals on the conspicuous convoys. If they were lucky, they could possibly even run into a low-ranking pirate in one of the cities many bars and question them.

There was only one problem that Mar could see from her perspective: As a Shree, she couldn't actually walk around on Sjito herself. But that was a problem she could bring to the Captains attention once they were on the ship.

"This is it boys and girls, unless you have any further questions make your way to Deck 01. There will be signs leading to Hanger deck B and the Dragonfly. Please grab all your gear, board the spacecraft and await departure clearance from ground crew and your pilot. Good luck!"

With that, she stood up and rolled her shoulders, all four of them, before striding out and making her way to the Devil-Fish first. After all, she would need her ELF Gun, among other things.

 

[L. Declis]

+++Wen'Li+++

At Read's agreement, Wen'Li gave a tight smile. She couldn't help associate "eyes" with "sight", despite the fact he likely sees better than her, as echo works in more than a small 90 degree forward arc.

"I need to get something for you, Read. Please meet me upon the ship. And thank you for the protection." She gave another bow, and after a thought, a small head rub. Reminds me of my dog back home .

She then walked off to the med bay to pick up some last minute materials. The vaccinations were ready for those whose blood she had collected (new planet means new environment, and we cannot risk illness now), and a small soft package.

With that, she made her way to Hanger 1, her backpack weighing heavily on her shoulders and a chafing rash beginning to form around her ankle. She was so used to storing equipment on her armour that her skin didn't take kindly to this newer, less elegant manner.

She considered bringing her armour with her, but changed her mind. She wouldn't be involved in the fighting. She would be one of those who waited, bandages and painkillers ready. She smiled at a thought from a joke she heard from Taak. Idles hands...

She got to the Dragonfly second, and saw Mar and her many shoulders preparing to enter. She hefted her bag over her shoulder, and walked to the entrance of the ship before placing it carefully into a locker. Despite her inelegant form, in this arena, Mar seemed perfectly designed for this kind of work, with an efficiency and focused mind that Wen'Li didn't know she had.

"Will this ship be good enough, do you think, for the mission?" She waved a hand. "I don't know much about ships. This one looks a bit clunky though." She looked around at the cramped space.

 

[Texas Joker 52]

= MAR =​

Location: Aboard the CNS Adelon, Hanger Deck B
Local Time: ~1045 Hours

As soon as she had the supplies she needed, namely her Elf Gun which was clutched in one true-hand, her holo-recorder which was grasped by both false-hands, and a pack which had enough rations for a week or so, along with whatever ammo she needed. She was in the middle of getting a proper recording of the Dragonfly when Doctor Wen'Li waved a hand in her direction.

"Will this ship be good enough, do you think, for the mission? I don't know much about ships. This one looks a bit clunky though."

Glancing over, Mar gave her a small smile as she continued to slowly scan the entire ship.

"She may not look it, but Dragonfly's are surprisingly agile. And fast." she said, before adding with a chuckle, "But you don't have to worry about me turning off the inertial dampeners to get a thrill on this mission."

Looking back up at the ship in question and smiled a little. It wasn't showy, but she was still going to fly it. After a moment, she continued.

"This particular model is pretty popular with Free Runner's, since it makes for a good long-haul freighter. I've never piloted one myself, but I don't imagine the basic controls will be much different, and I'll get a handle of her quirks soon enough once I put her through her paces. I just hope she's fully fueled, because the route I'm planning will take quite a few jumps, but it'll put us really close to Sjito." she said, before the holo-recorder let out a ping as it finished scanning the ship.

Tucking it into her pack, she looked back at Mei and smiled a little more easily, but her teeth still made her look predatory.

"After all, the way I see it, if our cover is Free Runner cargo haulers just finishing up a run, may as well take the safe route that gets us as close to the planet as possible. Though, if the security reports for Sila's Highway are still accurate, we should also hope this thing has radiation shielding." Mar added, "And cosmic radiation bursts may be the least of our worries anyway. We'll have to see."

 

[Deu Sex]

Jay was apparently late to the party. By the time he reached the Adalon, argued with the shipper over how much he owed for taxi fare, got his things together and entered the station proper, there was already a briefing going on. One of the officers outside checked to confirm that he was invited, before handing him some papers listing details from an earlier conference. Jay decided to sit in the back quietly, not wanting to attract any unwanted attention. Well, as best as he could manage while dragging an oversized hovercrate at his side.

He listened to the briefing, which apparently had to do with the Black Guards and a hostage situation. "The hell? I thought we were getting together for something to do with the Cantolia." he thought. Jay double-checked his PDA messages to make sure he was on the right ship. He cursed as he re-confirmed this as being true, while also being handed a new dossier detailing the Black Guards. He looked over the conference papers that had been giving to him, which detailed the hostage situation as test to see if the crew was fit to handle the Cantolia mission. He sat nervously, fiddling his with eyepatch a bit as the briefing continued.

"Shit. Fuck." he mumbled to himself. That 3 million that been some tasty bait, oh yes, but it seemed his mouth had ended up getting caught on a hook. Having burned the bridge to his old job and without any money to leave the Adalon, it seemed Jay had no choice to stay aboard and work to the best of his abilities. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Those combat professionals would have to deal with the pirates, he'd be safe away in the engine room.

With that thought having crossed his mind, Jay began looking through his PDA again. He read over the details of a ship called the Resolute, likely the one they were to be operating with later. Apparently a Kestrel too. It had an impressive array of tech. ISB functions which were always nice, an ion generator, a PSC with direct access and a relay with drones. All good things to have.

Jay looked around the room a bit. There were plenty of interesting xenos that he'd never seen before. One looked like a spider-turtle, another more of a millipede-scorpion and...did that one have four arms? Jay wasn't sure why he found that more odd than the pair of insectoid terrors.

He turned back to the Captain who was finishing up the briefing. He told them to pack up their gear and head to the Dragonlfy, and Jay did just that. He re-activated the hovercrate and dragged it along as he followed the signs. Eventually he found himself in Hanger Deck 2, with the Dragonfly in sight. He looked over the ship with a smile. She looked like a rusty tub, but likely had some good internals on her. Otherwise the brass wouldn't be using it for a mission like this. At least, he hoped so.

As Jay approached, he spotted a human girl with dark-hair and ghostly white-skin talking with the four-armed alien he saw earlier. He decided to approach them, lugging the hovercrate bigger than he was along still with one hand and with an armful of papers occupying the other.

"Er, excuse me..." Jay said, then paused as he noticed that the alien had as many eyes as it did arms. He then blinked his one eye and shook his head, resuming. "Uh, this is gonna be a bit embarrassing but...I got here late and didn't get quite the proper rundown of what's going down. I caught the briefing, and got some papers from one of the officers but...I'm not sure if I have time to read through all of it, and get a read on this girl's internals." he gestured to the Dragonfly. "So, uh, anyone wanna help give me the cliff's notes? I didn't miss anything too important during that first meeting, right? I get we're being thrown against some pirates to see if we're fit for Cantolia."

"Oh! I forgot my manners. I'm, uh, Jay Rao. Mechanic. Nice to meet ya both." he let go of the hovercrate and extended his hand out, awkwardly shifting it between the human girl and the alien.

 

[Redryhno]

"Master Van, regarding the major cybernetic reconstruction of some of the hostages. I have no such knowledge on how to deal with them. If they are damaged and threaten my patient, I shall need you nearby to help either remove them or repair them. I know of the major dangers of leaking into the blood, or possible eletrical discharge that may happen if someone uninitiated were to recklessly tamper with them. Please be ready for surgery if it is needed."

"Very well," The drone replied in the feminine mode he had put it on as Van started towards the Dragonfly with his gear,"I give no promises that my abilities will be sufficient however."

...I am not treating Kirickqk, I am treating you.

The drone translated something that sounded much akin to bone-crunching and flesh tearing into an irritated growl, somewhat cute some would say, were it emerging from any other individual,"You other-worlders claim to know much of the Kirickqk, but fail to understand the basic concepts of our ways. You do not treat a Kirickqk, you treat the Kirickqk. Your knowledge of us should be sufficient," The true-face of the tortacnide emerged from beneath the shell to continue speaking to Wen'Lei, all sets of eyes locked with her one pair as they continued,"Your kind should know well how to treat the Kirickqk, off-worlder, I have read some of your medical literature, your sketches and theories will prove sufficient for this. Should it not, you will have my body to keep from the Final Consumption, I assume, and to study for future use. Just as your generations have in the past. The Kirickqk have no trust for your kind, Doctor."

Entering the ship and placing his effects in place, he exited again.

"So, uh, anyone wanna help give me the cliff's notes?"

"We are to be tested fellow mechanic. Before our employers deem us fit, whether because of their incompetence or their dishonesty, we are to disturb a band of pirates and come back with proof of their disbanding and their hostages in tow.

He continued,"Our vessel for this test appears to be the Dragonfly before us. A competent ship that has limited range, and that would appear to be the only thing I can say about it so far."