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

[Demonjazz]

Apollo was sitting just outside of the Dragonfly occasionally flagging down someone and talking to them about the gospel of Doom. He even made neat little pamphlets that had beautifully detailed drawings of Doomguy horribly ripping apart demons while knee deep in the dead... He was never quite sure why people looked appalled when he handed them to them. He thought that they were quite METAL! as he explained to one of his friends. He then went on to explain the concept of METAL! to him for quite a while. Needless to say he wasn't having all that much luck for finding followers. After sometime of getting rejected he put on his green breastplate, and brought out his book to preach. Most would say he has a rather informal style... Most would go on to say that he was horribly unprofessional, and under-trained to be a street preacher or a priest of any kind but that didn't stop him.
"Lend your ears fellow soldiers! Hear of the tales of Doomguy! He was the biggest badass in all of history, and was a space marine just like me! His story starts on Earth. Yes, That Earth. Doomguy was raised, and born there. Like many on that planet he wished to be a marine. So he implored his amazing combat skills to become one, and all was good. That was until his commanding officer wanted him to shoot innocent civilians. And then Doomguy said unto him 'No way in Hell, bastard!' He then landed blow upon blow onto him till his officer ended up in the hospital. He was then sent to the most boring place in existence... A mars outpost. Now a reading from Deimos Lab 'And then as Doomguy unlocked the door, and a Baron of Hell was standing unto him. Doomguy then Quoth 'Not again' in a very sarcastic manner. He had then brought out his rocket launcher and slew this mighty beast. Doomguy walked unto the elevator to find the ammo cache so that he may fight another day' So say the Chief. Amen"

 

[Texas Joker 52]

= MAR =​

Location: Aboard the CNS Adelon, Hanger Deck B
Local Time: ~1050 Hours

She was just about to head into the ship, and suggest as much for the good doctor when a voice called out behind them.

"Er, excuse me..."

Mar turned as they were joined by another human, a male, who walked up to them, lugging a massive hover-crate behind him and carrying a stack of paperwork. What immediately drew Mar's attention was the eye patch that he wore. It was enough to make her look him over for a moment as he spoke.

"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."

So, a late arrival and a mechanic.

"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."

Mar opened her mouth to answer when an electronic feminine voice joined them to explain what was going on. It was one of the other non-humanoid beings on the crew, the one with the hard shell with spindly legs. She honestly had no idea what race, or gender for that matter, it was, so she was hesitant to ask, at least for the moment.

"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. 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."

The Shree promptly shrugged.

"That actually about sums it up. We're posing as Free Runner long-haulers, finishing up a run, and we're headed to a planet called Sjito to rescue a trio of hostages from space pirates. Shouldn't be long till launch, either." she said, placing her free true-hand on her hip.

When the newcomer introduced himself as Jay Rao, Mar shook his hand after Mei did with her own right true-hand after shifting what she was carrying.

"Mar. I'll be your pilot for this expedition, and this," she said, motioning to Mei, "Is Dr. Wen'Li, our medic. You'll want to make sure you get examined by her first chance. If you need me, I'll be at the helm."

Smiling at all three of them, she gave a backward wave as she turned and made her way onto the Dragonfly. She dodged a few of the other crew members that were roaming the decks as she made a beeline for the cockpit, and once there, she promptly dumped her bag before setting the rack for her ELF Gun on the nearest paneling that wasn't dominated by controls, or anything important for that matter. It hooked on with a strong, but temporary adhesive, and she set the ELF Gun itself in it immediately after.

Once that was taken care of, she sat down in the pilots chair and pulled on her helmet before starting her series of pre-flight checks.

 

[Demonjazz]

Apollo went into the Dragonfly after Mar, and threw his bag of armour on the floor with a resounding thud. He seemed to lose any of that previous nervousness from being out of armour now that he was supposed to be posing as a freerunner. He did however keep his shotgun strapped to his back. After a bit of walking around, and checking out the ship, he eventually made his way up to the cockpit where Mar was, and tried to as nonchalantly as possible push a religion on others. Which is to say that he wasn't very nonchalant at all. "So.... I know this probably isn't the greatest time... But have you heard the good word of Doomguy yet?... Just asking! There's nothing wrong with your religion, but if you want to convert, you know that's pretty cool! Just saying. Not trying to offend you or anyone here, but I'm really having a tough time starting up my church, and you know in this economy nowadays." After a moment of silence after saying this he cleared his throat loudly, and sat down.

 

[L. Declis]

+++Wen'Li+++

Pre-Hangar

"Very well, I give no promises that my abilities will be sufficient however." The drone buzzed out a feminine drone as the Kirickqk clicked its clicking. Wen'Li gave a nod; modesty is a virtue. However, rudeness certainly isn't.

"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, 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."

It opened up it's face and faced all eyes on her; it was hard to not feel outnumbered. This wasn't helped as it's clicking grew anger and more noisy, while the drone blankly continued its droning. By the end of it, the Kirickqk stormed out as well as something without decent legs could. Wen'Li stood there, blood draining from her face in anger; while the muscles around her eyes and cheeks remained calm, the corners of her lips twitched in fury. That bloody alien! How typical of the uncultured to throw the mercy of the Sisters back in her face! No respect for peace or Zaraqusa; nothing but hatred for humans, for Sisters! It was unheard of! It was blasphemous! She wouldn't keep the body for her religion; she certainly doesn't need for future use. For what use? A costume to scare children on Dark Light Night? While she tried to regain her temper, she didn't noticed she'd peeled picked the skin at the side of her thumb nail in anger.

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

At the hangar

"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.

Wen'Li gave a mental sigh. "Try not to put us into the planet then. Like I said, I like mine not smashing into a mountain" she said with a weary smile. She hated turbulant flying.

"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 and cosmic radiation bursts may be the least of our worries anyway. We'll have to see."

Mar gave her customary wide-teethed grin that made her look like a wolf having spotted a small rabbit. Mei narrowed her eyes. "Not all of us were blessed with protection from radiation, Mistress. That reminds me, where is your nutrient ration?" Mei held her hand out.

Up marched a rather tall if thin lad (If I think he is thin, I can only imagine what the others think. I bet he looks like a massive toothpick to Raed), one nervous eye green and a blank eye patch over the other. Interesting. An accident? Genetic mishap? Slipped while peeling a Sas'quat? He seemed nervous, and Mar seemed amused. Poor lad. Everyone here seems so nervous. Is it the teeth? Can't blame them.

"Er, excuse me... 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. 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." He stammered, gesturing wildly. Better not stand near him lest I loss an eye. Unlike Mar, I don't have spares

"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. 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." Master Van skutteled past, Mei carefully not looking at him.

Wen'Li smiled at the listened as Mar took over the conversation. "Mar. I'll be your pilot for this expedition, and this," she said, motioning over to Wen'Li with one of many hands, "Is Dr. Wen'Li, our medic. You'll want to make sure you get examined by her first chance. If you need me, I'll be at the helm."

Wen'Li watched her saunter off into the ship, leaving her with Jay'Rao. She bowed deeply. "Don't mind her. I am also a Healer, not a medic." She stood straight. "My name is Sister Mei. Not everyone can be so informal as to refer to me by Wen'Li."

She waved a hand towards Apollo, giving his all at an attempt at public speaking. Not yet a demogogue. "That is Master Apollo, he is eccentric but I assure you quite the warrior. The others I imagine you'll meet in time. There is a Master Ta'Ak, the short elegant alien, he is a Past Speaker. There is Sister Adhira'Al, who has answered the highest calling of holy war, you'll recognise her by her faith. Oh, there is a lizard dog called Raed. Kind thing; simple, but good hearted. There is also Hec; he kills people. And that is the Kirickqk, your colleague." She ended it shortly and bluntly, letting it hang a beat. "Most of the party are very good. Some are... tests from Zaraqusa for our patience."

"I must ask; why are you so late? We nearly left without you. There is no time for a medical check now, so give me the basics." She stepped closer, staring him straight into the eyes with her own black ones. "Blood type, height, weight, allergies, injuries, anything else I should know?" Not a smile, just a blank stare.

After a moment, she blinked and stepped back. "Regarding our mission, we are to find a particularly important ship. I'd ask Master Ta'Ak more on that. Regarding our present mission, we are to find three high profile targets and take down a gang of rogue pirates. We're not quite sure on that yet, but discussing continues, Zara willing." She said this all non-chanlantly; frankly war is boring and brutal; neither interest her.

She stepped up after Mar. "Master Rao; if you are coming? I have no injection ready for you, I am afraid, so I do hope you don't get too ill from a new environment". She didn't need to duck her head coming in; being short isn't a complete disadvantage.

 

[Texas Joker 52]

= MAR =​

Location: Helm of the Long-Haul Freighter, Dragonfly Model, CNS Adalon Hanger
Local Time: ~1050 Hours

Before she settled into the pilots seat in the Dragonfly's cockpit, Mar frowned a little to herself at what she had overheard from Mei just before she had gotten out of earshot. She hadn't been aware she was being so informal by referring to her as a Doctor, and by her surname, as well as calling her a medic. But then again, Mei was a member of the Zaraqusan religion. Mar wasn't particularly familiar with it, but she had heard of it. And, if she truly thought about it, Mei wasn't truly a medic, particularly when she remembered the explanation an ex-marine had given her on what separated medics from doctors.

"Doctors save lives. Medics just make people more comfortable... Before they die."

She was certain that wasn't entirely true, but from the exam that Mei had given her, it was pretty clear that she was a professional, and the proper term for her would actually have been Medical Officer. Still, the slight human woman didn't entirely seem to mind from her tone, so she shrugged it off. She could always ask it about it later, since the journey to Sjito would likely give them a little time to talk. After all, she seemed nice enough.

"So... I know this probably isn't the greatest time..."

She blinked behind the opaque dome of her helmet and looked back to see one of the other human candidates behind her. In fact, it was the man crying out about possible demons, and all four eyes blinked again as he continued to speak.

"But have you heard the good word of Doomguy yet?... Just asking! There's nothing wrong with your religion, but if you want to convert, you know that's pretty cool! Just saying. Not trying to offend you or anyone here, but I'm really having a tough time starting up my church, and you know in this economy nowadays."

The poor guy looked so nervous and out-of-his-depth that the Shree felt a twinge of sympathy.

"I'm, ah, not particularly religious. If I'm honest, it isn't that I don't believe that there's some sort of divine creator force out there or whatever, I'm just not particularly comfortable with any of the religions I've run into so far." she told him with a shrug, before adding, "Still, hope your Church of... Doomguy... Works out for you."

She supposed there really wouldn't be a better, more diplomatic way of saying, "Sorry, but I'm agnostic, good luck with that anyway.". Really though, she wasn't at all prepared to make a quick decision for something as personally important as joining a religion, no matter how nice it may seem. After all, for all she knew, this Doomguy religion may state that all non-humans (Or non-whatever if the religion actually belonged to a different race entirely), were "demons" that needed to be wiped out. After all, she had heard him mentioning a non-human as such before.

"Anyway, I need to complete these pre-flight checks." she said before turning back to the console and quickly finishing her checklist.

Then she promptly double-checked everything again. She wasn't about to take chances when it came to tests like this.

 

[Demonjazz]

Apollo gave a small smile at the mention Mar was agnostic. "That's good actually! The church of Doomguy doesn't believe in a divine being. Only demons we need to kill... Or well there's Satan, but he's dead. You see Dommguy-blessed be his name-doesn't have any divine powers. He was just too tough for hell to handle! He's the most badass thing that ever graced the earth... Sadly, he stayed in hell to protect us all from the demons. It's really a very touching story. Like how his pet rabbit Daisy died for us just some Doomguy would go back, and fight the demons. Would you like a pamphlet?" He said handing over his pamphlet
On the cover of the pamphlet was that same hand drawn picture of Doomguy brutally murdering demons. There were actually several different variant covers on the pamphlet's. All of them had the same level of brutal murder, but there was a different cover for each weapon that was recorded of Doomguy using. And inside those variants were variants of how many demons he was killing in each picture usually either a large group or a single one. On top of the pamphlet were the words "Are you a bad enough dude/ette to help Doomguy?" and below it talked about the principles of Doomguy such as not killing innocents, living a sinless life so that the demons can't posses you as easily, not being wasteful, being physically fit to help fight demons for the day Doomguy finally dies(This event was refereed to as əvəz gün), and learning at least one trade that would help fight demons on that eventual day. The suggestions for these trades were combat, vehicles, and crafting with some examples listed next to each category. The pamphlet continued to go on, and talk about the different interpretations of Doomguy including a comic, several games, a set of six novels, a board game, and what appeared to be a draft for the videogame. It said that they were all validly true, cause nothing was known about Doomguy other than his toughness, and the fact he killed demons in Real Life, and that this was an attempt of multiple authors to fill in the gaps between these two facts. It went on to say that the 'Classic' videogames were most likely the most accurate source out of all of them. The inside listed feats, and the wonders of Doomguy like they were the stats of a baseball card, and it was trying to outdo every baseball card that ever existed. It also contained helpful tips like how to properly loot dead bodies for supplies, and what item in your house could turn into the best melee weapon.

 

[Texas Joker 52]

= MAR =​

Location: Helm of the Long-Haul Freighter, Dragonfly Model, CNS Adalon Hanger
Local Time: ~1050 Hours

She had gotten half-way through going over her pre-flight checks again when Apollo continued, and she froze with her hands just above the keypad on the console. He only seemed more encouraged by her response than anything.

"That's good actually! The church of Doomguy doesn't believe in a divine being. Only demons we need to kill... Or well there's Satan, but he's dead. You see Dommguy-blessed be his name-doesn't have any divine powers. He was just too tough for hell to handle! He's the most badass thing that ever graced the earth... Sadly, he stayed in hell to protect us all from the demons. It's really a very touching story. Like how his pet rabbit Daisy died for us just some Doomguy would go back, and fight the demons. Would you like a pamphlet?"

Mar turned to tell him more bluntly that she wasn't interested, but even as she opened her mouth to reply he shoved the aforementioned pamphlet into her true-hands. She closed her mouth, and out of a sense of courtesy she shifted it to her false-hands and took off her pilot's helmet to at least flip through a few of the pages.

While the Shree was generally an opinionated woman, there were some things she simply didn't care to get into when it came to voicing said opinion: Religion was one of the biggest ones. So, despite the fact that the few bits she read, namely that the whole thing seemed to be based off of an ancient human video game, she didn't tell him that she thought the whole thing was stupid and insane. After all, that was insensitive in ways that she was uncomfortable with.

But there were other ways to get a point across that were both more, yet less, diplomatic. So when she looked up at him, she gave him a strained smile as she peered at him with narrowed eyes.

"Look, you seem like a nice enough guy. What's your name?" she asked, her translator keeping her tone light-but-neutral.

 

[Demonjazz]

Apollo was actually pretty enthusiastic at Mar's relative disinterest. Mainly because he usually had a much more aggressive, and negative reaction to the pamphlet although he could never fathom why people were offended by it. He was a bit dense in social matters, and had firm beliefs that tact was something for other people. More than one occasion they would often burst out laughing at hims pamphlet and call him crazy. The other common reaction was one of extreme OUTRAGE that only a parent or an upperclassman could create. He grinned, and nodded enthusiastically while she was reading the pamphlet, and didn't notice for a second that she said anything before snapping yet another salute today, and saying "My name is Lieutenant Apollo Richards Mctaggart!"

 

[Texas Joker 52]

= MAR =​

Location: Helm of the Long-Haul Freighter, Dragonfly Model, CNS Adalon Hanger
Local Time: ~1050 Hours

The way he snapped an enthusiastic salute was enough to make her want to sigh. It was clear that he took great pride in his religion, such as it was, and it made her wonder if she was going to follow through on what she was about to say. She supposed that she could've given him a more subtle nudge... But if his reaction to her more tactful refusal was any indication, she doubted it would be enough.

"My name is Lieutenant Apollo Richards Mctaggart!"

"Apollo? I'm Mar, and I happen to be a Shree. If you know what my kind is like, even by hearing rumors, than you know that we could probably be considered the very demons your Church of Doomguy talks about. But the point I'm trying to make is this: If you don't stop trying to shove your religion down my throat, I'm going to see if you're as tasty as you look, and shove bits of you down my throat instead and see if it sits better." she said flatly, her eyes narrowing into a mild glare.

But, she didn't crumple up or tear apart the pamphlet in her false-hands. Instead, she tucked it into one of her jumpsuit's pockets. After all, irritated though she was, she didn't really have the heart to make a show like that. She didn't want to hurt his feelings so much as get the point across that he needed to stop, and she wasn't interested.

"Like I said earlier, I have pre-flight checks to take care of. As for you, I'd find a place to get comfortable because we should be launching not long from now. Good luck finding converts, though I'd change your approach." she told him, patting his shoulder with a true-hand before pulling her helmet back on and turning back to the control console.

 

[L. Declis]

+++Wen'Li+++

Wen'Li listened to the conversation between Apollo and Mar, sighing deeply.

She looked over to Mar as she walked into the cockpit. "Did you really have to do that?" she asked with a cocked eyebrow.

 

[Demonjazz]

Apollo's expression was a perplexing mix of constantly changing emotions. He wasn't quite sure how he was supposed to react, especially since he didn't actually know the reputation of the Shree because he lived an amazingly sheltered life in the mega city that he lived in. One wondered how he lived there for so long, and yet barely knew anything about aliens. He was disappointed by the fact she didn't want to join, fearful of a cannibal on the ship, angry at this fact, insulted that she would that she called her self a demon, and almost laughing cause he was sort of expecting this to be a joke. All these emotions flashed across his face at the same time, until his expression finally decided on one of confusion, and simply wandered off into some other part of the ship without saying a word

 

[Texas Joker 52]

= MAR =​

Location: Helm of the Long-Haul Freighter, Dragonfly Model, CNS Adalon Hanger
Local Time: ~1050 Hours

The shifting expressions on Apollos face, under other circumstances, would've been both fascinating and vaguely entertaining. As it was, it was enough to make her want to shake her head. What was worse was the fact that immediately after he had strode off with a confused look, Mei came in and regarded her with a quirked brow.

"Did you really have to do that?"

Slowly looking over, Mar hunched her shoulders. Having four arms made it much more impressive. Almost a full minute passed before she finally responded.

"I probably should have handled that better, so no, I suppose not. Still, I had the feeling if I didn't give him a clear 'NO', he would have kept trying to make me convert. The fact he was getting pushy started to insect me." she said defensively.

With a sigh, she turned to face Mei entirely. As it was, she had checked and double-checked the ships systems, and everything was nominal. No issues to speak of. At least, none in the Dragonfly itself.

"Don't get me wrong, I can admire how... Enthusiastic he is. But his 'Church of Doomguy'," she said, resisting the urge include finger-quotes, "Is not for me. I'm not particularly religious as it is, and the whole subject is something I've learned to avoid like inter-species STD's. It's complicated, and I inevitably offend someone when it comes up, and not in a way that I'm alright with."

She shook her head with resignation before she shrugged, holding the palm of each hand upward.

"If someone's being too pushy in regards to almost anything else? Trying to buy me a drink and get in my thermal suit, or wants to list all the reasons why they're a better pilot, or even some stupid racist excrement? I have no problem snapping at them and offending someone in the process because of it. But religion? It's a minefield my social piloting skills are useless for." she told her as she slumped back into the pilots chair.

"Whenever I get the chance, I'll apologize to him." she added after a moment.

 

[L. Declis]

+++Wen'Li+++

Wen'Li looked at Mar as she looked dejected in her chair. A quick pat on her shoulder. "I suppose now isn't the time to talk about the Church of Zaraqusa?" she said with a straight face, her eyes twinkling with humour. After a few beats, she gave a small laugh before waving it off with a hand.

"You are as honest as you are strange, Mistress Mar. Buy him a beer and offer to listen to his Church. You needn't be dodging or weeving this issue; misunderstandings make chaos. Listen to his point, say your own. Master Apollo perhaps just has no idea how to deal with those outside his species. I can sympathise."

She reached down and stole a small packet out of Mars bag. "I'll be taking a part of your food. As... delicious as it looks, I'll get you something better in time."

She looked around and settled her flinty gaze on Mar and a small smile. "If you don't mind me saying, you seem both too worried and too forthright; probably perfect traits in a pilot, but I guess we shan't be asking you to be our diplomat with the Black Guard."

She walked back to the seating area, and gave an absent minded scratch on Raed's head as she walked past. He really did remind her of her old dog, and when she framed him as such, he wasn't nearly so scary. As long as she didn't look at him directly. "Raed, I am glad you are coming. I have prepared a small gift for you."

She took out the spongey package and unwrapped it; a small white scarf lay there. She crouched, and wrapped it firmly but loosely around Raed's neck, ending by going under the arm and a clip to keep it from falling off. "As my guardian for a while, you shall need this. Nothing more than a small denotion that you're with me, so you can go anywhere I can. It's kothan, so it's very soft." Not that he can feel it through his thick scales

A small Zaraqusan mark hung at the end of the scarf, a bit of red on the white kothan fabric. She gave a self-satisfied nod. It had to look the part of a guardian.

 

[Demonjazz]

Apollo was doing push-ups in the farthest he could get from the cockpit while still being in the seating area. He thought of maybe moving farther away, but he wanted to claim his spot in the seats by unceremoniously chucking his large bag into the middle seat. He theorized that if they were going to be shot down than it was more likely that the sides were going to be shot, and that meant the middle was the safest place to sit. He probably would have been somewhere else farther from the suspected cannibal if it wasn't for the fact that he refused to let his bag out of his sight. One of the major reasons he decided to do push-ups at this moment was not just to build up muscle mass You could do that at any time. The major reason he was doing this was due to his near religious eating of MREs, and while Apollo definitely wasn't the sharpest knife in the shed he definitely wasn't stupid. He knew that MREs had nearly twice the amount of calories an average person would need for a meal, and that burning off some of those calories at the moment was a good idea. He caught out of his eye Wen'Li giving a scarf to Raed, to the lizard thing? "Wouldn't it be a better idea to get more than a scarf? Maybe an actual outfit? There's a reason why humans wear clothes after all."

 

[Evrant-Knight]

- - - VELKA - - - ​

Current Location: Acrohan Sector, Planet Sjito, City of Neagrad - City Streets
Current Local Time: 00:20 AM

As the bells tolled for midnight, last orders had been called at the bar, which was met with a fair few disgruntled sounding groans from some of the more drunken patrons. Velka meanwhile had been making pleasant small talk with the bar staff as and when she could, some noting that it was a welcome change compared to the half baked tales and shady stories that they were normally told by their customers.

Meanwhile, the two soldiers of the Black Guard that had been Velka's main reason for being here were beginning to leave, having still some reasonable control over their motor functions despite the level of alcohol they had consumed, as evidenced by the number of bottles at their table. She waited for them to actually leave the bar itself before making tracks herself, not wanting to get noticed right off the bat.

The streets were quiet at this time of night, few witnesses were about, meaning that if Velka had to make some noise, she could do so in relative safety; though she'd have to take care not to wake anyone living in the houses nearby, which given some of them were in a shoddy state of repair, told her that she was in a less well off part of the city. Likely this area was seldom patrolled by the police, leaving people to their own devices.

Velka had been stalking these hired goons for a little over a quarter hour now, and most of what she heard from them was incoherent babble about some pretty dame they both had a thing for, and how they could both accommodate for her, which repulsed Velka somewhat. But then they spouted something interesting.

"Hey Jack, what do you think that the Captain is going to do to them hostages if no one pays up?"

"Probably kill them, or maybe sell them on, who knows goes on in that head of his."

Hostages?! That must be the incident that Veng was talking about. This has gotten interesting and serious at the same time.

"Who'd want any of those three that we nabbed Nate? 'specially that BlueZericon boss, hardly anything to her. Though some of the Augs on that other fella would probably sell for a pretty bit a coin, all shiny they were. As for the lizard, maybe Brock can find use for him."

"As a punching bag that is!" Jack then let out a mighty howl of a laugh, though he momentarily lost his balance, causing him to collide with some trash bins. His associate shuffled over to help his colleague up.

"Look Jack, we both partied pretty hard today, but with the way we're walking, we'll be in not a fit state for the transfer. Let's just rest up at the safe-house, and get back to base in the morning."

A safe-house huh? That might hold something valuable like a communicator or some kind of map. I shall have to follow them and see where it is.

"Keep quiet you ingrate, someone might be listening. Something about that shifty hooded fella back at the bar, unsettled me."

"Nah, probably just the drink talking mate."

And so their banter carried on back and forth next ten or so minutes, before arriving at an innocuous looking house. It took them about three attempts to get the key into the lock before finally entering the room; Velka all the while watching from the shadows of a nearby alleyway.

Well, whilst I didn't get exactly what I came for tonight, it had given me some leads to go on. Better turn in for the night, and make a plan of action in the morning.

And with that, Velka turned round and head back to the space port.

 

[Deu Sex]

"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.

Jay heard a female, electronic voice answer him first. He turned in the direction it was coming from and saw it was another one of the aliens he spotted earlier, the spider-turtle this time. Though the actual source of the voice was more likely the drone following the alien. Jay eyed both the drone and its owner curiously. "Fellow mechanic, eh?" It seemed he was going to have a partner for this mission. That woudld be helpful. Jay would have to ask later to get an inside look at the automaton. He wondered what sort of unique xenotech it might be outfitted with.

"That actually about sums it up. We're posing as Free Runner long-haulers, finishing up a run, and we're headed to a planet called Sjito to rescue a trio of hostages from space pirates. Shouldn't be long till launch, either."

Jay turned back to the other alien. His eye widened noticeably as he realized two things. First was that the alien was, or at least sounded very much like, a girl. Second was that she had a very prominent set of razor-sharp canines, which became visible as she spoke.

"Mar. I'll be your pilot for this expedition, and this," she said, motioning to Mei, "Is Dr. Wen'Li, our medic. You'll want to make sure you get examined by her first chance. If you need me, I'll be at the helm."

"N-nice to meet all of you ladies!" he said, smiling despite his nervousness. Though taken aback by the oddity of aliens, Jay was actually more curious than frightened. As Mar walked away, he turned his attention to Dr. Wen'li.

"Don't mind her. I am also a Healer, not a medic." She stood straight. "My name is Sister Mei. Not everyone can be so informal as to refer to me by Wen'Li."

Jay bowed slightly back as well. "Alright, Sister Mei! I'll keep that in mind."

"That is Master Apollo, he is eccentric but I assure you quite the warrior. The others I imagine you'll meet in time. There is a Master Ta'Ak, the short elegant alien, he is a Past Speaker. There is Sister Adhira'Al, who has answered the highest calling of holy war, you'll recognise her by her faith. Oh, there is a lizard dog called Raed. Kind thing; simple, but good hearted. There is also Hec; he kills people. And that is the Kirickqk, your colleague." She ended it shortly and bluntly, letting it hang a beat. "Most of the party are very good. Some are... tests from Zaraqusa for our patience."

"Well...they certainly sound like an interesting crew."

"I must ask; why are you so late? We nearly left without you. There is no time for a medical check now, so give me the basics." She stepped closer, staring him straight into the eyes with her own black ones. "Blood type, height, weight, allergies, injuries, anything else I should know?"

Jay felt a little anxious again when Sister Mei stepped so close towards him, staring right into his eye. "I travelled here via impromptu taxi. Not really the fastest method of transport, but still, got me here!" he chuckled a bit, then spoke again. "Anyways my blood type is O-, I'm 5'1" with a weight of 150lbs., I have a pollen allergy and for injuries...well I've got some minor burn scars as you can tell from my charming face, and one of my eyes has been lost. I've got a cybernetic replacement for it though."

"Master Rao; if you are coming? I have no injection ready for you, I am afraid, so I do hope you don't get too ill from a new environment".

"Here's hoping!" he said. Jay turned to the spider-turtle with the drone after she entered the Dragonfly. "We should get in there too, start setting up shop. I'll get a read on the girl's internals and then load the info into a datachip to share with your drone-buddy. Looking forward to working with you, friend!"

Jay then headed up into the Dragonfly as well, lugging his hovercrate behind him. Once inside he deactivated the crate, letting it slam down against the hard metal floor and securing it in place against one of the walls for now. He put down his paperwork alongside it. No way he was gonna read all that shit just now.

After checking twice to make sure he had all the tools he needed on hand, Jay decided it was time to start the scans. He figured that, just like with a lady, it would be best to start with the head before working his way down. He'd scan the cockpit first and then everything along the way to the engines.

Jay headed over to the cockpit. He opened the door and stepped through, smiling at the pilot inside. He imagined having four eyes and just as many arms made the job of piloting a lot less hectic. "Hello again, miss Mar! Just coming in to get data on the cockpit internals. I need to get a scan on each part of the ship before we head off, so I'll know how to repair her correctly."

He headed over to one of the corner panels first. His back facing Mar, he took off his eyepatch. Though he had a cybernetic eye, he disliked having it visible in front of people. It was...not an elegantly designed device, and most people reacted poorly upon seeing it. The cyborg eye worked great though, especially with the functions Jay modded in to help with his work. Once the patch was off, the bulb of his eye glowed a faint red. It zoomed out slightly and began scanning over the internals of the panel after Jay popped it open with a screwdriver, analyzing its specifics.

 

[Texas Joker 52]

= MAR =​

Location: Helm of the Long-Haul Freighter, Dragonfly Model, CNS Adalon Hanger
Local Time: ~1050 Hours

When Mei patted her shoulder and asked if it was a bad time to talk about the Church of Zaraqusa, the Shree took the time to reach up and take off her helmet so that she could level a bland stare at her with all four eyes. But the doctor waved it off with a soft laugh.

"You are as honest as you are strange, Mistress Mar."

"Just Mar. No need to call me Mistress anything, it makes me sound like a dominatrix." she joked.

"Buy him a beer and offer to listen to his Church. You needn't be dodging or weeving this issue; misunderstandings make chaos. Listen to his point, say your own. Master Apollo perhaps just has no idea how to deal with those outside his species. I can sympathize."

Mar could only reply with a soft sigh and a nod. If nothing else, apologizing to him over a drink wasn't the worst idea she could think of. Still, she didn't want to be forced to listen to much more if she absolutely had to. Then Mei took one of the tubes of nutrient paste from her pack, before looking back at her and smiling.

"If you don't mind me saying, you seem both too worried and too forthright; probably perfect traits in a pilot, but I guess we shan't be asking you to be our diplomat with the Black Guard."

Mar screwed her face up at that and turned to watch as she left.

"Hey, I did mention that it was an uncomfortable subject, right? This isn't exactly a normal reaction from me." she told her, jabbing the thumbs of her false-hands into her chest for emphasis.

Slumping back into the seat, she placed her helmet onto her lap and drummed the fingers of her true-hands on the domed visor while she crossed her false-arms against her chest. She was starting to wonder when she would be given the order to launch when the hatch to the cockpit opened behind her. Thinking it was the Captain, she turned and opened her mouth to speak, only to blink and close it again when she realized it was the mechanic, Jay. Well, technically a Ship Systems Engineer, she corrected mentally.

"Hello again, Miss Mar! Just coming in to get data on the cockpit internals. I need to get a scan on each part of the ship before we head off, so I'll know how to repair her correctly."

"It's just Mar" she said automatically, but she leaned forward as he started to take off the eyepatch.

When he revealed that he had a perfectly functional cybernetic eye underneath it, she had to shake her head and narrow her eyes.

"Wait, that's it?" she asked incredulously, "I was wondering why you were wearing the patch and didn't have a cybernetic, but since you do... What's the point of the eyepatch?"