To The Stars

Ruri

Ruri remained somewhat entranced, but it seemed the others were on s different track. It wouldn't do to be left in the dust. She turned towards the boy, staring into his face as she delivered her own words of wisdom.

"Don't be afraid of being afraid. Being afraid isn’t an act of fools. It's an important feature of self-preserveration. There are those who would follow this observation by stating that fear is the first step towards bravery. Don't believe it. In this specification instance, bravery will get you killed. Please lay low and stay safe or else we won't get paid."

The mood shifted again. First moral support, now battle tactics. She hoped to get this over with sooner than later.

"I can function in front or the rear, but I'd prefer the rear. So long as my body's in peak condition, I can intercept enemy signals or use their machines against them. Unfortunaly my point of origin is a decaying sack of meat. If I could stay on the ship and assist from afar that would be best, but if our objective is out of range I'll be forced to enter the fray. That is purely a last resort. If any of you idiots drags me along for any other reason I'll sit and pout in protest."

Despite their lack of facial expressions, it was clear the Assasssin Droid was having none of what Gesicht was having.

"Annoyance: I already said that this would only happen if any of you for whatever reason dared to stop the contractor's son from getting to his goal. It appears your memory processor has gone haywire. Observation: Perhaps it is due to your makers making you resemble something you are not and will never be, hm? Your 'Federation Court' should focus on stopping the Hutts doing all the crimes and slavery they indulge near their borders instead of wasting their attention on one Assassin Droid."

The Assassin Droid walked away from Gesicht, not wanting to bother with this excuse of a droid any longer. This Assassin Droid can already see that given enough time, this Federation will go the way of the Republic with enough time. It seems bleeding hearts haven't gone extinct just like the Rakata did. Oh, how disappointing.

Now that they were close to their destination, that son of the meatbag left...much to be desired. As long as there's enough meatbags to shoot down below, perhaps then this mission will be far more tolerable.

"Statement: One of my past masters managed to exterminate a Sith Lord who devoured entire planets whole. Confident Reassurance: Powerful or not, meatbags die all the same. The same should be thought of this 'God of Death'."

Elevator Terminal - Trying to Keep one Tech-Priest in Line (Lieutenant Titus)

"A God of Death? My brothers and I may be known as 'Angels of Death,' but a God of Death? Ideally, it shouldn't be something a few bolts," Titus notes, while looking at the others, "as well as our other respective weapons can't fix."

Speaking of weapons, the Tech-Priest cannot help but overhear Aila and Cibo's apparent abilities. "Wait, what did you say?"

The robed cyborg approaches both the android and the taller cyborg, attempting to lean in close to Cibo, trying to look over her arm as he starts to ramble. "You can reconfigure your very body to use weapons made from your very parts?! Such adaptability is something that eludes the Machine Cult itself, as we have not had technology that can do that for centuries! Some would consider it heresy, but perhaps... If I could present this to Archmagos Cawl himself, then the potential advancements from your study, Miss Cibo, would revolutionise Imperial industrialisation! Praise the Omnissiah, for you could be the saviour we need after this mission is complete!"

Titus overhears his "colleague's" ramble, and raises a finger. "A moment."

His thunderous steps making even more impressions in the tilework as he goes towards the Priest, Galleus still rambles on. "Imagine what this could do for the Lieutenant and his fellow battle-brothers! New adaptable weapons systems! Armour with new forms of rapid deployment! I—"

"Galleus, stop," Titus says while lightly tapping Galleus' hooded head with an armoured gauntlet. "You're causing a disturbance. I suggest you cease and desist, because this is important. Am I understood?"

The Tech-priest can only rub his hooded head in annoyance once Titus' arm clears from his head. "Yes, Lieutenant. ...My apologies, you two."

"That's better."

On The Way To -> Elevator Terminal

Enty merely beamed at Aqua's reaction, patting him reassuringly on the shoulder a couple more times before the Engi member of the team tapped her own shoulder.

"Oh!" she startled, releasing Aqua and turning to Manon. At the request to speak "alone", she bit her lip slightly, looking about the area, then addressed them. "I don't mind at all, Manon, but I'm afraid we don't really have much in the way of privacy at the moment. If it's something sensitive that you'd rather speak about alone, it will have to wait until we can find somewhere secluded to talk. I'm sorry!"

That said, the team arrived at the elevator terminal, where Enty had visited out of curiosity before. Thus, the sights there weren't unusual to her, but the fotunetelling stand was new! The... very flimsily constructed fortunetelling stand with a snowglobe in place of a crystal ball. The talk of a God of Death and the threat Aqua had foretold sparked something in her memory, and yet it was like an itch she couldn't quite scratch, like she was missing just one crucial piece of information before she could make a connection. It was quite maddening, actually... but she waited her turn to approach this "Zeemi" person behind Aqua with patience.

While she waited, there was quite a lot of commotion around the appearance of Ratchet and Clank, heroes of such renown that Enty had heard of them as well! Becoming the saviors of multiple galaxies, mostly working only as a duo, was hardly an accomplishment to sneeze at! Thus, she smiled, and offered the two a handshake each in turn, even if she had to crouch or kneel a bit to close the distance between their heights.

"Hello there, Ratchet and Clank!" she greeted with a great big smile and the respect that should be afforded a fellow war hero. "Pleased to meet you! The name's USS Enterprise NCC-1701, but my friends call me Enty! I'm a KAN-SEN from the Galactic Federation, officially retired, but hired on as help in order to resolve a... legal misunderstanding with the Centerran government. Fun to think we'll have somebody else around who's used to their name preceding them, heh! Anyway, if you don't mind my asking, what does your official business consist of, exactly?"

Edited by darksidevoid on Apr 17th 2024 at 2:49:17 PM

Gesicht frowned, he didn't respond to further provocations and stepped forth to the rest of the group. The Hutts were on the list of things to handle but unfortunately were in a sector of space that had tumultuous political relationships with all other major societies. If he could march in and arrest them tomorrow, he would. For now, his duty was here, there was something important he had to handle.

Upon reaching the Elevator Terminal he saw Ratchet and Clank, a quick sweep of his files revealed they were in essence well known heroes. "Ratchet, Clank," he called out.

He raised his ID badge and flashed the holographic display of his credentials as the Fedpol investigator on the case. "Welcome to Centerra. I believe we'll be working together."

Manon and co, Elevator Terminal —-> Outside Meeting Room —-> Elevator Terminal (again)

Manon nodded when Enterprise said the matter would have to wait. He saw no point in attempting to argue otherwise when she would no doubt keep her promise to discuss it later.

"Understood." they replied. "I shall reserve the occasion for a later date when the time seems optimal." They then proceeded to turn around and begin to head back towards the meeting room, only to be noticed on the way back by Charlie and Liam, who seemed to have all but wrapped up their conversation in the moments while Manon was speaking to Enterprise.

"Manon? What are you doing here?" Liam asked, sounding a bit concerned. "I thought you said you were going to wait in the meeting room for us?"

"What's the deal, metalhead?" Charlie grunted, through the last bit of the sentence wasn't intended as pejorative as it might seen.

"I- I-" Manon began, then suddenly sparks flew from his neck, causing Liam to step backwards and Charlie to narrow his eyes. His screen began to flash between green and purple, and he started emitting strange noises.

"MANON???"

"I-" Suddenly, the Engi returned to normal. "Explanation: There appears to be an error in my programming. I apologize for any inconvenience this has caused you two. However, there is no need for alarm. It will resolve itself with time, aided by my automatic debugging systems."

"You sure about that, bolts?" Charlie asked, tilting his head. "You seemed pretty...messed up, for a second there."

"That's putting it lightly..." Liam sighed.

"Reassurance: I will be fine." Manon asserted. "Now that we are all gathered together again, we should focus on the mission at hand. I suggest meeting with the others at the elevator terminal."

"Yeah, agreed." Liam replied. "But-"

"There is no time for hesitation." Manon rebutted. "We have already delayed our purpose here enough. It is time to continue our mission."

And with that, he began to walk back towards the elevator terminal. Liam looked at Charlie, Charlie looked at Liam...and they both just shrugged and followed him, though their anxiety towards their mechanical companion still hadn't faded. Little did they know, the glitch Manon spoke of didn't exist. Though there were a few problems with his current system, there were none which should have been able to make him malfunction to such a degree. And that's because it was all a ruse...

When all three arrived at the terminal, there seemed to be all sorts of commotion going on about some kind of "God of Death".

"Whoa whoa whoa, WHAT?" Liam cried, picking up speed as soon as he heard the phrase uttered by multiple different people. "Hold on, God of Death? What the hell did I miss?" His question wasn't directed at anyone in particular, but more at the crowd as a whole. Charlie, meanwhile, glared at the Tech-priest, and despite himself, smirked when Titus told the mechanics-obsessed lunatic to shut up. He still didn't like either of them, but at least the marine seemed to have more sense than the tech junkie.

Edited by SushiKraken6414 on Apr 18th 2024 at 7:56:59 AM

Bastion, Planet Centerra - Elevator Terminal (Suit Yourself!)

Susie stepped back and took a moment to observe what she was working with. As much as she hated to admit it, there was a growing sense of anxiety in her that this whole situation was out of her control - that no matter what she said or did, the other contractors would do their own thing, and she'd be nothing more than another grunt to throw at Ulysses' problems like the rest of them. For the sake of the Company's goals, and for her, that could not be allowed to happen. She would not be reduced to a disposable lackey. Nuh-uh, no sir!

Besides, it was looking as though volunteering herself for what seemed like a political errand might just turn out to be a goldmine of opportunity. There were lots of potential assets here, even ones she hadn't considered yet like the Toa. 100,000-year-old denizen of Mata Nui, hello? They could have known the builders of the original Galactic Nova! They could have pre-dated them! If she could even just one of these assets on board then it'd almost be worth taking them away right now! She could not afford to mess this up!

For the time being, she'd at least been more than successful at getting Ratchet on board. Ratchet's natural charm was working its magic just as she'd hoped, and Cibo was already fawning over his automaton companion^note (who was admittedly very cute and did have a way with words - even if 'Clank's very existence was a case study in why you check your production lines, a lesson Chairman Drek died in a fiery explosion to prove. What a total jaramus! And she could go on about his short-sighted plan to destroy worlds, and thus, markets, populations, et cetera, in the hopes of a comparatively tiny return that's basically erased when you consider- nope, nope, she was getting distracted! Stay focused!). You'd almost think they were with the group from the start!

She was content to just let them all have their way for now... but then things got very complicated, very quickly.

All because that so-called 'fortune teller' brought up the 'God of Death'.

If Susie still had brows, one would be perked at that. Something about that sounded familiar... and then she remembered what Aquarius had been saying earlier. 'Vaguely reptilian, steel scales, glowing eyes, wings'. Coupled with all the reports of increased criminal activity in this sector, it seemed far too apropos to be a coincidence...

"No need to waste your money, Aqua," she interrupted his transaction with the 'con artist'... although if she was correct, she may need to adjust her stance on that... "I think I have an idea as to who our mysterious 'God of Death' is."

She clasped her hands behind her back and officiously walked a little bit away, as if preparing a presentation to the group. While her back was turned, she took out her tablet and tapped a few more keys, looking up some additional data from the HWC servers.

"Have you ever heard of the Zebesian Space Pirates?" she asked. "Notorious criminal band, composed mostly of a little-known insectoid species. Has expended truly ridiculous amounts of resources to simple plunder. Responsible for a number of atrocities, the Occupation of Zebes, the Massacre of K2-L - if I went into detail we'd be here all day. Recall your description of your little reptilian beastie - steel, glowing eyes, wings. Obviously a mechanized entity. And it just so happens to match the description of a wanted criminal, a leader of the Zebesian Space Pirates, who goes by the alias 'Cunning God of Death'."

She whirled around to face the others once more, pausing for dramatic effect.

"Commander Ridley. A remorseless, merciless killer. Last reported on Tallon IV, but that was some time ago... he could have easily moved on since then. He could be here," she said with utmost seriousness.

She decided not to disclose how she knew about him - some time ago, Ridley was involved in a battle that left him horribly maimed, too maimed for his natural regeneration. So a comrade of his contacted them, asking he be mechanized to save his life. Even President Haltmann had been apprehensive about dealing with a known mass murderer, but the Pirate leader had sweetened the deal by offering leads on further contracts with his people. Besides, it's not like they were selling him weapons - just medical prosthesis, effectively.

Just as Susie had predicted, Ridley immediately screwed them over. Somehow, he jailbroke himself, severing his parts' connection to Star Dream - something almost no-one else had managed to pull off before. And because of that, not only had he violated the Company's terms of service, he now owed them close to a million Haltmanns in repayment fees. If he was still connected, the computer would have shut him down about fifteen times over by now.

Needless to say, if she could collect on what he owes them while they're here... well, that's just the cherry atop the sundae, isn't it?

"And that is why cohesiveness and cooperation is VITAL!" she raised her voice again as she put her tablet away - if the rest of the group wasn't listening before, they will now. "In just a few moments, my insurance policy shall be arriving! When that happens, here's what we shall do: I want Everett close to me at all times! He is the objective! If even just a scratch ends up on his cute little head, we have failed! That is not an option!" she declared, dramatically chopping at the air. "You, Aquarius! I want you close to me, too! You've adequately demonstrated your PSI skills are nothing to scoff at, and it'd be shame to lose them! Besides, you're... on the underdressed side for an assignment such as this."

"As for the rest of you," she continued, "I want our heaviest hitters up front! The ones with the most raw firepower - I'm eyeing you, Mr. Titus, and you," she pointed to the one carrying a flak cannon, whatever their name was.

"And before anyone asks, once my insurance policy arrives, it will become clear why I- oh!" she stopped, looking very pleased as she heard the very familiar sound of Haltransporters whirring up in the air. "Speak of Dark Matter, and it shall appear!"

The automated heli-drones were outside, hauling something over to the Terminal building - a large, bulky mech ending in a huge screw, painted in pink and white and bearing the HWC's logo. The Haltransporters hauled it close to the ground, right outside the the terminal entrance. With a 'bzzzewww', the gravitational tethers keeping it aloft powered down, and the mech dropped to the floor with a loud 'CLUNK'. Somehow staying upright, its arms, disconnected from its main body, began to 'whiiiiirrrrr' spin its lower screw end around as it entered the terminal building (leaving a scratch mark behind on the floor), zipping over to the group at a surprisingly quick speed, coming to a halt next to Susie.

One of the mech's arms lowered, and Susie hopped up onto it, allowing it to carry her to the top of the 9-foot-tall war- sorry, 'conflict resolution' machine. Susie dropped into the open cockpit, and her antennae flipped down, projecting a shining holographic visor over her face. She felt the mech's signal sync with her own mind, as she saw it play out before her - it now tracked her, moving along with her.

"Everyone, this is my insurance policy - my Business Suit!" she said, pointing - as she did so, the suit pointed with her, mimicking her hand movements. "Business Suit, meet everyone! Aquarius, Everett - if you like, you can ride atop. Otherwise, stay close."

Edited by PresidentStalkeyes on Apr 20th 2024 at 12:26:19 PM

Boulders, Blades and Bot, Bastion (Elevator Terminal)

Liam shuddered as Susie spoke of the Space Pirates. He'd heard tell of them of course, how could he not have, but the idea that they might be here? And with their fearsome leader Ridley no less? That was terrifying to him. And yet...though almost every part of him wanted to cower at the idea of facing someone like Ridley, there was something deep inside of him that refused to let him do so. If the Space Pirates were spreading their evil to Centerra, his home, then he refused to just stand by and let them do it.

"If...i-if Commander Ridley's somewhere on this planet...then we have to find him!" he spoke up, voice quivering but filled with determination nonetheless. "I agree we need to protect Everett, we can't just drop that mission, but...we can't simply go about our business and hope we don't run into the Space Pirates! If we really are prepared to take them on in a fight...then we have to find them, and stop them! Stella only knows what they'll do if we don't!"

"Query: And how do you propose we go about such an objective? I am in agreement that their plans must be thwarted, but a plan of our own is required if we wish to do so." Manon replied. "We do not even know exactly where on this planet they may be, if they are even present on Centerra at all. It is possible they may be in a completely different location of the Stella System. And how do you propose simultaneously maintaining our current mission and adopting this new one?"

"W-well..." Liam started, looking around at all of the team members gathered at the terminal. His eyes drifted towards Aquarius, and lit up. "Aquarius here is how we know they're even here in the first place, right? Maybe we can locate them using his powers!"

"Not a bad idea, Blades, but they're not exactly the most specific." Charlie grunted. "Sounds great and all, but we're gonna need a bit more than some spinning allegorical planets."

Liam moved closer to Aquarius.

"You can do more than just that, right?" he suggested hopefully, praying he was onto something.

Ratchet and Clank-Elevator Terminal

It's the angry felinoid who gives them an explanation as to what the group's objective is. "Sounds like a standard enough political escort-minus the threat of possible space dragon. That one's new." Ratchet summarizes, then smirks. "Yeah, I think we can help you guys out."

"I hope we have a nice time as well," Clank replies to Cibo. "And I believe you will find that my compact design offers many surprises."

"What the-hey!" Ratchet yelps indignantly as Cibo ruffles his ears and hat. "Just because I'm feline doesn't mean you can treat me like some-some house cat!" he told her, before irritatedly muttering to Clank "You sure know how to pick them, pal." Clank merely inclined his head at that and shrugged, not quiet apologetically.

Ratchet would NOT be telling Cibo (or anyone else) that the ruffling had felt great. Nope.

Ratchet and Clank's attentions are then drawn to Zeemi as she speaks up, and the two can't help but compare her to the last Witch they'd dealt with. She's certainly got the purple color scheme going for her-even more than Vendra did, but that's about where the comparisons end. This lady doesn't seem malicious (...or very smart, Ratchet thought, taking note of the snowglobe crystal ball and shoddily crafted stall.) Given all that, some might be initially dismissive of Zeemi, dismissing her as a fraud then and there. Ratchet and Clank, however, had seen too much of the universe and its mysteries to dismiss her out of hand-especially with the claim that they'd have to deal with a "God of Death". Where that phrase might inspire fear in any other group, most of those gathered here seem to take that title as a challenge.

These might just be my kind of people, Ratchet thinks. Leeets just hope these guys can back up this confidence with some actual skill.

Clank meanwhile is mentally checking the files the Galactic Federation had given them. The mention of both a flying reptile sighting and a "God of Death" is worrying-and familiar.

"No way!" Ratchet practically shouted after Enty introduced herself. "The Enterprise! You're a legend! One of the greatest ships to ever travel the universe! They've got you for this job?!"

Seemed even well-known figures like Ratchet could still get starstruck every now and again. Clank stares at Ratchet admonishingly as the Lombax realizes he was fanboying out, and he quickly reigned himself in, awkwardly coughing into his fist before giving Enty an apologetic look. "Sorry, sorry. I'm a, uh, huge fan. I do mechanic work when I'm not doing the whole hero thing, and you are just...'I mean, a ship who can manifest as a person? So cool. Your schematics alone are a work of art!I....Is that weird to say? That's probably weird to say. I'll just...shut up now."

At Gesicht's introduction, Ratchet and Clank each nodded to the robotic detective. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Detective Gesicht. Having someone with your qualifications along will make things go much more smoothly."

That's when Susie once more stepped up to speak, laying out who this God of Death was.

"I can confirm Susie's hypothesis that this 'God of Death' is most likely Ridley," Clank said, responding to Susie's commands. Going on to answer Enty's question, Clank continued, "Ratchet and I have been contracted by the Galactic Federation to investigate and deal with a group of Space Pirates currently operating off of Centerra. Ridley is most like heading their operations here."

"I can't believe the guy's name is Ridley. That's almost as bad as Percival," Ratchet comments lightly, both he and Clank snickering at that, before materializing his Negotiator into his hands. The rocket launcher was almost as big as Ratchet was, so seeing him carry it with ease was quite a sight. "If this Ridley guy does show up, don't hesitate to leave him to Clank and I-we've dealt with guys on his level before. You guys just focus on keeping Everett safe."

Edited by Dezmo on Apr 20th 2024 at 9:22:07 AM

Elevator Terminal

"Oh, nonono, it's not weird!" Enty assured, holding up her hands and jiggling them placatingly at Ratchet, a small, embarrassed smile on her lips. "Thank you for the compliment, Ratchet. And I know I've done a lot of things in my time, many of them impressive, but I don't think any of that comes close to you two bringing peace to multiple galaxies pretty much by yourselves, so I'd say the pair of you are much more impressive when compared to me! I'm honored that you think so much of me, though, really! Thanks, heheh!" She finished by shooting the Lombax and Robot duo a toothy grin, then stood up and arched an eyebrow at the arrival of Susie's Business Suit.

"Well, I'm glad we'll have the extra firepower, at least!" Enty commented, rubbing her chin as she looked over the large mech - or at least, larger than the other large members of the party so far. "As for me, I've got military phasers and photon torpedoes, though I'll probably only be using the miniature ones with less omph. Can't think of much reason we'd need the ones from my full-scale ship self."

On the subject of dealing with Ridley and the Space Pirates, however, her countenance took on a serious frown, her eyes flickering between those speaking as she thought about Susie reminding everyone of just what those 'mere' Pirates were capable of. After Liam expressed his desire to take care of them so that they couldn't threaten Centerra - or anyone else, for that matter - Enty nodded decisively, and spoke up herself after the Mantis' friends had expressed their doubts:

"I agree that we need a well thought-out plan if we're going to take out Ridley and his underlings, but I also agree that we ought to do it and that it's the right thing to do, even if it's something we do after our escort mission is complete. If nothing else, we can think of it as our way of paying back Ratchet and Clank here for helping us with our own mission, yeah?"

Suddenly remembering that she hadn't even introduced herself to the client they were supposed to be escorting, Enty turned and stepped over to Everett. "Before I forget again, I just want to introduce myself, Everett," she said, offering him a friendly smile and her hand for a shake. "My name is Enterprise, but you can call me Enty if it makes you feel more comfortable. I'm part of the team your father hired to guard you on your pilgrimage to speak with Stella. You said you were an art student, right? What kind of art, if you don't mind talking about it?"

Edited by darksidevoid on Apr 21st 2024 at 6:55:52 AM

Cibo: Bastion (Elevator Terminal)

Cibo seemed rather surprised by the Tech-Priest's sudden approach and expression of amazement at her abilities, and she looked uncomfortable by the zealous praise he was spouting, even if everything he was saying did seem like a compliment. Once Titus intervened, however, she visibly relaxed, grateful at least that she could get a word in edgeways. She nodded to the Ultramarine, before fixing her gaze onto the Tech-Priest.

"It's fine. I'm... glad you're so interested. It's true, I make sure all my bodies can be modified. I never know what situation I'm going to be in, and I don't like being excluded from being helpful if there's something I can do about it. If that means modifying myself with weapons or new devices, I'll do it. But most of that's done with my toolbox."

She patted the heavy container that she had slung around her back, shrugging a little. Despite her apparent ease in carrying it, it looked as if it weighed a ton.

"So it's not a compact solution, but I'm sure you and your 'Machine Cult' could figure it out."

She gave the Tech-Priest a tense smile, before her attention was grabbed by the arrival of yet another large mechanical exosuit aside from Titus' own, that was being dropped down right outside the entrance of the building like a package being delivered. Apparently, it was Susie's. She looked up at it after Susie got inside, appreciating its design, before nodding in approval.

"Hey, not bad. So, I guess we're heavy bodyguards. Good luck to us sneaking up on anything."

She did a double-take as Ratchet pulled out The Negotiator from seemingly nowhere. Staring at him for a moment, she walked over and tapped the end of the giant rocket launcher's barrel with her finger, before looking down at him incredulously.

"You're not wearing pockets. Please don't tell me you were keeping that where I think you were."

Edited by Enirboreh on Apr 21st 2024 at 10:07:17 AM

Elevator Terminal

Giegue slowly nodded at Alia, having not expected her remark.

Unexpected, but pertinent enough to be welcome, especially from the flawed machine. Giegue could live with that.

The discussion got halted when Susie finally told the group about who was the famous "God of Death". Giegue listened carefully to her.

Somewhat. Her grandiose tone was exasperating him. He also glared at both her and Aquarius when she mentioned PSI. A coincidence, probably, Giegue could tell the secretary had no psychic powers. Aquarius on the other hand... Giegue eyed him dangerously.

Giegue's frown did not leave his face as Susie was finished. He even looked unimpressed by the Pirate's description.

Frankly, he had no interest in outright chasing the Space Pirates down. He was here for escorting, not bounty hunting. But from Susie's descriptions, and putting any sense of morals aside, their greed seemed far too destructive to ignore. True, Giegue's species also organized raids, kidnapping, and conquest on other planets but one: they were subtle, returning their hostages with no recollection of what happened, unharmed, once they were finished with them, and two: conquest wasn't done for glory or greed, but for the greater good, sometimes eradicating a species deemed too dangerous to thrive, or "perfecting" the locals, ensuring their loyalty before teaching them the secrets of PSI. That was what happened with Starmen.

   "Ridiculous. If you are done with your pretty speeches, we can go straight to the point... It seems your "God of Death" is nothing but a pest to be properly terminated then, both he and his bug lackeys. Genuine threat or nuisance, it is possible he makes the first move and directly comes for us. Must I remind you we are escorting an important personality of this planet after all? The son of a senator is a tempting prize for any kind of bandits."   

Giegue sighed as he folded his arms.

   "Our escort mission is our priority. But... I suppose we should find the time to properly exterminate those beasts. Though I could operate anywhere, I should stay near the boy. As curious as this toy of yours is, Susie, it is best to be cautious, should the enemy somehow bypass our defenses. I can try to monitor the rest of you from afar. I have... my ways. Psychic ones."    Giegue said, still unwilling to say much about his PSI. At least he revealed what he was good at.

In truth, Giegue was sure he could deal with this "Ridley" lifeform himself. But as a commander, he was used to having his minions do the dirty work for him. Everyone was boasting about how they could take on the dragon, "Hey look I got a plasma beam, hey look I have a big canon, blah, blah, blah, I'm the strongest" but Giegue remained doubtful about his partners's usefulness.

And... should things really go wrong, the alien knew he would have to tap into the boiling psychic turmoil within himself. But with great risks. A part of him really didn't want to.

Best not to tread there yet.

Edited by Scipion3 on Apr 21st 2024 at 12:45:35 PM

Ruri

Things had escalated quickly. One minute she was contemplating the natural beauty of snowglobes, the next everyone was getting their nickers in a twist. She didn't see a need to deal with these pirates until they became a threat to them personally, but everyone else seemed to. She felt the need to object, yet the last time she railed against popular opinion she'd gotten a disgruntled droid's disapproval. The half-machine soon took charge, cementing her position even as she grasped for straws. Sad as it was, any attempts to dissuade them would make herself the idiot she supposed.

"It's clear our positions of authority are becoming set in stone. I can get down and dirty if there's a need, but I'd feel more comfortable as support. If we can locate a sufficient database, I should be able to retrieve any and all information regarding these pirates and their latest whereabouts. Including their taste in porn. I hope that information doesn't become relevant."

She stared at Susie's 'business suit.' It was no Aestivalis, but she couldn't help but be impressed. She activated her neural network, attempting to forge a connection. At best she'd get a new friend, at worst she'd piss Susie off. It was a win/win.

The Moment of Dawning Comprehension I Live For (Aquarius)

"You do?" I say, turning to Susie in surprise. Instead of giving a straight answer, she starts addressing all of us, asking if we've heard of the Space Pirates. Somewhat surprisingly given the Zodiac's relative isolation from the rest of the galaxy, I have; when humans first came to our star system, they brought with them books on all sorts of things, including the wider galaxy. I've read almost every book there, several times over, so I've learned a lot, including about...

Wait a minute.

Wait a minute.

Reptilian, steel scales, glowing eyes, wings, Space Pirates, God of Death...

Oh.

Oh no.

My eyes widen as I put together the puzzle—which kinda sucks because the puzzle is massively freaking horrific—moments before Susie confirms it. "Ridley's— here?!" I just about wheeze, my voice coming out strangled, and I frantically look around as though he'll burst through the walls at any second. "I— We need to tell someone, call the authorities, we can't go down—"

Susie's words snap me out of it, and I take a second to silently thank her for having her head on her shoulders while mine is being unscrewed...before my cheeks start burning at the mention of how, uh, unsuited I appear for this kind of mission. Yeah, no duh, you literally lied you were meant to be here and now you have to run with it. Don't remind me, brain.

At Liam's question, I bite my lip and give him an apologetic look. "I can't find him exactly, not unless I figure out his Psynergy signature, but I saw him approaching Centerra, so we know he's here. A-and..." I swallow a bit. "Something tells me we're going to cross paths during the mission."

Intuition? A warning from the stars? Me reading enough books to know how this goes? You be the judge of tha—

"Speak of Dark Matter, and it shall appear!"

My spine stiffens and I let out an involuntary gasp—then realize it's just a saying. It's just a saying. Dark Matter is not here. Dark Matter is not going to...

An inky, writhing darkness, blocking out the stars like a splotch in space, a scar in the galaxy where a planet used to be—

My hand reaches into my pocket and squeezes the Talisman.

Distracting myself from that image, I look over at Susie's 'Business Suit'. It's pretty impressive technology. I can't help but giggle a bit as the suit points with her—it must be some form of motion capture technology. If Scorpio were here, she'd kill to get a closer look.

At Susie's offer, I hesitate a bit...then figure "what the heck, why not" and head over, pointedly not acknowledging Giegue's glare. I don't know what he has against me now, and frankly, I don't care.

"There's one more thing," I say to everyone, after climbing to sit on the top of the mech. "It's...something I've felt since coming here, but haven't gotten the chance to bring up. The Psynergy here..." I frown. "Feels off. I don't know what it is...but most likely, the Space Pirates want it. So after this...maybe we could try and figure out what that is about?"

You can't exactly go wrong denying Ridley something he wants.

Seras - Elevator Terminal

She gives Susie an amused smirk. "My name is Seras, thank you very much. And I was going to take point anyway. On top of the cannon, I'm pretty hard to kill."

It turns out Seras was correct - the God of Death was not literal, but a title. A title for some scaly tosser who she'd heard of, but who hadn't even crossed her mind.

"Honestly, I doubt he's as threatening as the rumors say. Few monsters are. And even the most threatening ones die a lot easier than you think." She says, trying to reassure the group.

"Yeah," Pip agrees, "I've seen shit way more horrifying than some edgy dragon-looking connard."

Despite all the centuries that had passed since that horrible night, nothing had yet topped the nightmare of the king of vampires unleashing the legions of the damned and drinking an ocean of blood.

"Even if my Harkonnen can't pierce his armor, which I very much doubt, I can at least keep him pinned down while you lot blast him with the big guns." Seras finishes.

BB & B, Bastion (Elevator Terminal)

Liam wilted a bit at Aquarius' admission of not being able to find Ridley's exact location, though he did perk up at the confirmation that the dread pirate general was at least confirmed to be on this planet somewhere. That was better than nothing.

"Well-"

Then, Ruri spoke up, giving Liam hope when she spoke of locating a database and using it to find Ridley, though her last comment made him a bit flustered. He would have blushed had he not been a mantis, and thus not really capable of doing so.

"That's good! We can continue with our mission, and if we find a database along the way, we can use it to find the pirates!" he said triumphantly. "Though...maybe not that last bit..."

"Solid plan." Charlie chuckled.

"I am in agreement." Manon nodded.

Both Charlie and Liam moved up to where the rest of the heavy-hitters were told to gather, whereas Manon stayed close to Aquarius.

Elevator Terminal

The entire time the crew has been deliberating on her omen of "the God of Death," the fortune teller had spent her time producing a feathered cat toy on a stick and dangling it over Giegue. Putting almost all of her focus into this obviously-crucial undertaking, Zeemi merely responds over her shoulder to Ruri.

"Isn't it cute? I got it from a gift shop this morning!"

If Giegue's comments about her status as an imbecile or ability to function even registered in the fortune teller's clearly-empty head, she shows absolutely zero indication of it. In the common parlance, "head empty, no thoughts."

Everett, to his credit, does seem reassured by everyone's words of wisdom at first.

"Y...yeah...I trust you guys. I know my dad, I know he hired people who can handle anything. And...thanks. Cibo, Alia...Giegue and Ruri, kinda...I'm scared but I've gotta do this. I'm not gonna do anything stupid, I'll let you guys handle the-"

"...NOPE."

Everett's face pales as he turns and immediately starts walking for the exit, away from the elevators.

"Big scaly monsters on the surface, negotiation, fending mostly for myself, I can handle. But a space terrorist who eats people? Nope. Not doing it. Adulthood's overrated. Who needs to vote, drive, jury duty sounds like it sucks, and I'll still have a youth discount at movies. Sorry for wasting your time but there is no force in this galaxy - or any other, now that I think of it - that's getting me on an elevator to potentially run into a giant space dragon with a thirst for sentient blood."

At least he's not hyperventilating anymore.

"All your weapons, Susie's suit, Seras being...apparently unstoppable, Cibo's go-go-gadget stuff, all really cool. But unless your plan is to build a giant, impenetrable wall between me and Commander Psycho, count me out."

Aqua can hear Zeemi mutter something under her breath a few feet away, still holding out the cat toy near Giegue.

"The Psynergy's not that weird here, buncha meanies..."

Mission Status: Over Before It Even Began (Aquarius)

...oh.

He's leaving.

I stare after Everett as he goes. Part of me feels like I should call after him, try to talk him out of it...but honestly, I don't think I could change his mind and I'm not sure if I want to. Sure, everyone else is getting paid for this, and all, but me? I could...probably find what I'm looking for elsewhere.

And besides, we have bigger fish to fry than Everett's coming of age.

"What makes you say that?" I ask, turning to look at Zeemi again. "What do you sense? And let it be known, I already paid for you to answer my questions." She's definitely not the brightest bulb in the box...but she's no hack, either.

The Assassin Droid didnt seemed to paid much heed towards the other conversations, except for the revelation of this 'God of Death'. He certainly has heard of this scaly meatbag and how his organization of Pirates like operating in Hutt Space. Either way, the Droid didnt cared. If powerful and planet destroying meatbags like Nihilus and Vitiate we're destroyed by his past Masters, all meatbags die the same.

....Of course, the damn weak meatbag son didnt thought the same. A shame he can't threaten this meatbag with the threats of a Disruptor Rifle. He has standards to adhere to.

The droid sighed as he glared at Everett leaving. "Annoyed Statement: This is the reason why Bounty Hunters prefer working for other organizations instead of this one. I am tempted to leave a message to the Bounty Hunter's Guild if the meatbag doesnt come back. His behaviour is beyond unprofessional."

Elevator Terminal

Giegue looked at the plushie Zeemie was dangling over him, with a mix of contempt and confusion.

He wasn't stupid, he knew that was supposed to be a toy. He had some when he was raised by Maria when he was an infant. But those were for children. That toy was irrelevant.

Of course, Giegue didn't even think about the connection between the cat toy and his appearance. But that was enough to annoy him. A lot.

   "If you would please cease your infantile antics and let me focus, that would be appreciated."    he warned.

Ignoring Zeemi as best as he could, he turned towards Aquarius.

Right, Psynergy, not PSI, that was what this was all about, he almost forgot. He wondered why Susie even used the term "PSI". But even still, the alien still had an off feeling about the "human".

He'll have to clarify that.

At least he brought up something interesting. Giegue frowned as Aquarius mentioned something he was also perceiving.

   "I can confirm what Aquarius said. I also detect... something going on this planet as well. If his theory is correct, the Pirates cannot be allowed to access it. And if they are bound to face us, we must exterminate them, to the last bug."    he agreed.

And if this strange object or whatever was seizable, they should claim it. Or rather, he alone should claim it. Giegue didn't trust any of his comrades to handle whatever was on this planet.

However, Ridley was the last straw for Everett who just... decided to give up. Giegue looked at him moving away with the same cold expression he was carrying.

Except that when Everett would reach for the exit, he would bump into... Giegue. The alien had used his PSI to teleport in no time in front of the entrance, blocking it with arms folded. He stared down at Everett, his tail wagging slowly in a menacing manner.

   "... I met mere children braver than you."    he muttered, a hint of disappointment in his voice. Giegue hated said children, especially a certain asthmatic boy with a hat and a baseball bat who happened to be related to his adopted parents, but at least, they had the guts to confront him and his army despite how insignificant they were compared to him.

Giegue then floated aside, leaving Everett to leave.

   "Do not fool yourself. I could drag you inside that elevator, no matter how hard you would squeal, if I wanted to, but I have no business to do so. Feel free to run back to your father's arms and shame him, then. Of course, if you do, our deal is off, and I have no reason to stay on this backwater planet. I have no interest in getting paid or whatever other foolish reasons the others are on this mission. I can find someone else to repair my vessel. In fact, I expect half of them to leave as well."    he said.

Giegue had no reason to stop him. Logically speaking, that boy would hold him back. Without him and the others out of the way, he was free to investigate the strange vibes he had from this planet, and potentially claim that power for his own. And of course, he would be free to genociding pirates without caring about anyone else.

And yet, there he stood, still glaring at Everett. He wasn't fully sure why he decided to care, even so slightly...

   "But if this Ridley is as bloodthirsty as they say, and he gets what he wants here unopposed, expect him and his forces to come into that city and burn it into the ground. You and your family included. And do not expect me to lift a finger for you."    Giegue pointed out.

Edited by Scipion3 on Apr 22nd 2024 at 9:55:12 PM

..Oh, this strange white feline-like meatbag is starting to gain his approval. No sob story. No 'you can do it!'. Just the plain hard truth. It would a bring a tear to his eye if he was a meatbag.

"Commentary: My, I must admit, I enjoy when you are so authorative and dismissive of him and us. It certainly bodes well for your treatment of our enemies." The Droid commented towards Giegue as he made his feelings known. With how the droid carries himself, something says that no pinch of sarcasm was said and it was all genuine.

Elevator Terminal

"...Perhaps going on and on about the dragon was a mistake." Alia said to the others as she saw Everett try to leave, with a look of relief showing on her face when Giegue moved to intercept him. "Let's let this be our first lesson. We are all veterans of combat who have seen and been through terrifying situations. Our client is not. I don't want to coddle him, but...maybe hold back on talking at length about how imposing the road ahead is."

Edited by Bored_Man on Apr 23rd 2024 at 7:00:00 AM

At the talk of Ridley, Gesicht seemed to flinch.

His right hand flexed and suddenly transformed into a bulb shaped cannon, he looked down and shook it, changing it back. He looked to Everett and cleared his throat somewhat. "Everett, if I may speak up."

This was what he was sent here for, Fedpol had him investigating this one specifically. The suspect probably wouldn't come in quietly, but that's what they accounted for. Gesicht didn't like pulling lethality out, but if he understood the records right, the suspect was notoriously hard to kill.

"I have access to special heavy weapons that will be an effective offensive tool, as well as being constructed of a special alloy that is incredibly durable and may prove vital in handling this threat," Gesicht said. "If I may demonstrate, is there anything here your family could easily replace that is incredibly durable or armored?"

Bastion, Planet Centerra - Elevator Terminal (Susie's Simmerin')

"Now waaaaaaait just one itsy-bitsy second there!"

The group would hear the distinct 'zwozwozwozwozwo' sound of a Haltransporter spinning, as Susie allowed her own to lift her back out of the Business Suit and over towards Everett, currently cornered up against the exit by Giegue and HK.

She'd been intrigued by those two, to be sure, but now that their client had decided to up and leave (and, she'd admit, that may have been her fault), what were they doing? They certainly weren't helping - the anthrophobe's 'tell it like it is' attitude wasn't gonna get their client to grow a pair, it was just gonna send him into a hysterical fit, no doubt! And that psychopathic drone was just adding fuel to the fire for, apparently, its own sick amusement!

If they kept this up, their client would be gone and all her opportunities would be down the drain - she needed this group intact if they were gonna take on Ridley, as sturdy as her Business Suit is, there was no way she could take him on herself. She could call in reinforcements, but she doubted her father would consider it worth it. She'd count herself lucky if he even remembered she was here.

Point being, these two were starting to feel like liabilites. She barely restrained herself from blowing up at them right then and there, but she did shoot them both an evil look, daring them to either leave or sit back and shut up long enough to complete this job the little savage's father has entrusted them to do.

For now, she chose not to dignify them with a verbal reaction, instead focusing her attention on Everett. She tried to get close to him, providing a comforting pat on the back (while blocking him from leaving).

"Everett, young master Everett, this really isn't necessary! Just step back, take a deep breath..." she said, closing her eyes and miming taking a big breath (though she didn't need to, it was the gesture that was important). "Breathe with me now, in... out... whirl that oxygen all about..."

Truth be told, she was doing this for herself just as much as for Everett. If not more so.

"Now. I'll be honest, I may have gotten just a little carried away with my description of Ri- the Pirate leader. I was reading our company's database verbatim. The mother computer does have a way with words... but I assure you, I have a plan. A foolproof plan, that cannot fail! For as long as we all stick together" she said, raising her voice so everyone could hear that bit, "we can achieve anything! Besides, you don't want to disappoint your father, do you? I mean, I've been in your shoes before. My father i- was hard to please. I could have abandoned him, said 'eh, who cares what he thinks?'. But I didn't. I stuck with him through thick and thin, even as it seemed he'd never appreciate all the hard work I did for him, because I knew that one day he'd change his tune. One day he'd appreciate me, and that day... well..."

She stopped, suddenly looking a little melancholy... only to perk up again immediately afterwards, "that day was the best day ever! And you too, can experience that, for the low-low price of free! Just trust us and we will get you there! Okay?" she finished, putting on her best reassuring voice.

Meanwhile, her Business Suit once again sat idle right where she'd left it. She'd have taken it over with her, but for some jarned reason it stalled...

Edited by PresidentStalkeyes on Apr 23rd 2024 at 9:45:06 AM

Elevator Terminal - Damn that Thieving Xenos (Lieutenant Titus)

Titus only nods in response to Cibo's silent thanks, before the conversation about Ridley reared its foul Xenos head. "Ridley" being the name of a particular individual that had come into contact with a small number of Rogue Traders over the years. He was more of an immediate concern to various Planetary Defence Forces and detachments of the Imperial Guard, as a thief and monster like him would see no sense in engaging on battlefields like the ones the Adeptus Astartes frequented. Of course, everyone's reactions didn't inspire confidence in the client. Especially since said client was attempting to walk out the door.

"Not so fast, boy. You're not getting away that easily. Your father has asked us to provide our services to protect you. I would imagine that all of us here would want to see it through to the end."

He walks forward in his towering frame, attempting to get near both him and Susie. "And for the record, Lady Susie, if your so-called plan involves using young Everett as bait, then I simply disagree. I'd suggest an alternative: some of us hunt the pirate, while the others protect him."

Meanwhile, Galleus stays silent, carefully considering Cibo's words... while also marvelling at her ease in handling her toolkit, PRAISE THE OMNISSIAH.

Edited by G2BattleConvoy on Apr 25th 2024 at 10:23:11 AM