Starpath: Scoundrels of the Interstellar Highway - Thread 2 - Games

Starpath: Scoundrels of the Interstellar Highway - Thread 2

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Another pause occurred, as Dwan likely considered Constantine's proposal. Soon, his voice surfaced. "<...perhaps...>" he was heard saying, perhaps admitting to himself that the man on the other line was right, but abruptly: "<...but I-I don't know whether t-to trust you guys... even if you knew Y-Yanim, you m-might want to just use me, like a tool,>" his emphasis as sharp as ever; "<...even then, w-what hope is there for s-someone like me, who has hurt so many....>" his voice tapered off, as shuffling could barely be heard..

The trio on the bridge grimaced in unison. In some ways, the universe-hopping creature they had feared for so long seemed like an abused child. Neasha spoke up. "That's one of the hardest parts about the world we live in, Dwan. Nobody's able to trust each other because of all the evil that goes on. You know, when Yanim formed this company, she took anyone she could get, even people she knew she couldn't trust, like Rask... it wasn't about building friendships or community. Sometimes we fought it, but we all knew, deep down, that we were better off working together, at least for a short time. Dwan, we don't need your trust, and you don't need ours. We just need a common goal, and we have one." "I can't say what kind of hope lies in store for you," Constantine added. "But you have two paths available. One is action, and the other leads nowhere. If hope is what you're looking for, then you won't find it in the latter."

Yet another pause occurred, but at this point, it seemed natural. Dwan's voice once more was heard: "<...I, ehm, hm....>" he coughed quite hard, "<...I see....>" he briefly paused before speaking up, "<...as long as no one has heard it, I-I guess I could come as 'Dvajn Karlsson'...>" he said, referring to the name given in the handset's contacts, "<...I'll o-only join you to deal with Beta.... I-I have no-o obligation to a-assist you w-with my powers i-in any degree s-sans dealing with her.... I-I hope you can understand w-why...>" he reaffirmed Constantine's proposal with a condition of his own.

Constantine looked to Neasha, who nodded in approval. He turned back to the handset. "If that's your call, we'll take it. For everyone's sake, though... I hope this just turns out to be a 3-day pleasure cruise for you." Neasha spoke up. "Now... we're speaking to you from the bridge of our mother ship, which is currently at port on Nyx, in the Upyri Federation. If you're going to ride with us, we'll need to introduce you to our chief of security immediately, and before we set off again. We'll head for somewhere private with the handset and give you another call to signal when we're ready. I'm assuming you can just... drop in?"

"<...you just need to take a picture of a flat surface, onto which I-I can open a portal...>" Dwan responded, "<A-and doing so i-in a private location, w-without say, a camera watching, w-would be preferable...>"

"No problem," Neasha replied. "See you soon." Constantine terminated the phone call and the group mulled over what had just taken place. Arkadam spoke: "I think she'll appreciate that you didn't just leave him in his misery." "We didn't do it for Yanim," Constantine snapped. "We need him for the galaxy's sake." Neasha turned to Arkadam, annoyance on her face. "Why do you keep talking about her like she's in the next room over?" she questioned. The way Arkadam simply stood and smirked at her made her blood boil. "If you don't want to accept it, then fine. We'll deal. But Constantine and I aren't going to indulge you; the Boss is dead and we need to be focused on the job she left us to finish." "So you did it for the galaxy," Arkadam remarked, tranquilly. "Yanim would still appreciate it, wherever she is." Neasha felt a bit guilty over her outburst. "Yeah. You're probably right. Now come on, let's go find a hidden place to summon our new friend." --- A few minutes later, they got into a cab waiting near the landing platforms. Arkadam made a straightforward suggestion: "Let's just find the nearest bar. They're bound to have a public restroom, and nobody watches the security camera close enough to notice one extra regular-looking guy coming out of the door when we leave. The serek and I can keep watch while you go in and make a call." Constantine nodded. "Makes sense to me." The cab rolled up in front of one of the numerous watering holes near the port. The three dashed inside, instructing the electronic cabby to standby, and that they were merely retrieving a friend. The bar somewhat crowded, with loads of people moving about, meeting and greeting other captains and crew as they crossed paths along their travels. It was also dark, and mainly lit by neon light fixtures on the ceiling- good conditions for remaining anonymous. Constantine and Arkadam excused themselves, both entering the bathroom. The latter washed his hands while silently taking note of the number of other patrons in the restroom, while Constantine locked himself in a stall to loiter until the proper moment. The kanad left the room and took up position with Neasha. "So what are you going to say if someone walks up?" She asked, but before Arkadam could answer, he was already put to the test: a tough-looking kercan thug stomped right up to Arkadam, who was standing in the path of the door. "Move," the man warned. "This is the women's room," Arkadam replied with a sneer. The kercan did a double take, looking at the symbol on the door and wondering if he had somehow become confused about the symbols used in the Upyri Federation. He turned around with a gruff "thanks," before stepping confidently into the women's bathroom. There was a yell from within, and Arkadam bolted into the men's room before the kercan could come back. And he did, throwing open the door furiously before searching for prankster who set him up. Acting instinctively, Neasha pointed at the exit and stammered "he... he just took off!" "That motherfucker," the kercan spat before heading that way, only to be stopped by the bar's manager and questioned. While the two men argued, another pair emerged from the restroom. Inside, Arkadam alerted Constantine that the coast was clear for the moment. "Alright, this wall should work," Constantine said as he snapped and sent the photo to Dwan. "Now we wait."

Suddenly, a small, blue flame, or something that looked like it, appeared on the wall. Slowly, over the course of a few minutes, in an oval outline, small flames appeared. The atmosphere became tense, with each minute passed feeling slightly longer. Soon, the outline was finished, and abruptly, a blue portal formed from it, illuminating the surrounding area with a blue shine. A moment later, and something emerged - a leg, followed by an entire body. Standing at 143cm, with long, red hair that had lazily been combed, a big, barely kempt beard, wearing a brown coat, a grey sweater and a blue scarf - and carrying several pieces of luggage. Dwan Theidrum has returned to the universe. His eyes squinted the entirety of the time, as he laid them upon Constantine. Quickly, they changed to a more curious expression, as the portal behind him closed. He looked around himself, and realized that he was in a restroom....and it wasn't in the best of conditions. He looked back at Constantine, looking confused and likely full of questions as to his whereabouts.

"Keep your mouth shut until we get the hell out of here," Arkadam warned as he beckoned him over. Constantine offered to help carry the small man's luggage as they swiftly made for the exit. As the door came open, there was a shocked reaction from the barflies- not directed at them, but rather at the kercan who had just thrown a punch at the manager. Dwan was basically hustled along until they were outside the building, having been unnoticed by the crowd. The cab, parked nearby, opened its doors automatically, and Constantine barked at it to drive back to the landing platforms. Full of adrenaline and huffing a bit, Neasha suddenly looked up in a frozen moment of realization at who she was actually looking at. "Y-you're Dwan..." she said quietly, and Dwan recognized her voice from the phone call. "I- I don't know what I expected, to be honest." "I'm Ioannis Constantine. That's Neash Kyral, and the other one is Arkadam Sidikan."

At the same moment as Neasha realized who she was looking at, Dwan recognized Neasha from the universe from which he accidentally rescued Beta from. He looked away from her as she made her comment, and turned his attention towards Constantine. He wasn't expecting a human, a kanad and a serek when he was speaking to them through the handset. The chaos from the bar and the hustling still had him a bit shook, but he didn't take long to respond. "Ehm, it-it's very nice to meet you all," he said, nodding in their direction, "I, erh, likely don't need to introduce myself, b-but for the sake of politeness, I'm D-Dwan Theidrum, or, well, Dvajn Karlsson..." Dwan felt rather awkward, this being the first new people he's 'met' in two years, and he wasn't sure how he was about to deal with a completely new crew, but he just hoped that things will go smoothly.

The sound of Vixe's knuckles against the old door echoed more than the occupants were accustomed to. Setting aside a box full of assorted keepsakes, Isharnaya moved to answer it, but her husband was a bit faster and reached the threshold first. Koborik checked through the peephole, expecting State Security, and looked down on a younger woman with a scar across the side of her head and the sort of ordinary clothing that seemed to suggest either poverty or military service. Sliding the deadbolt out of the way, he popped the door open a few inches and greeted her. "[Are you from the Bureaus?]" he calmly asked her. Vixe shook her head. "[Just looking for a friend of mine.]" Koborik stared, quizzically, before speaking again. "[We don't know you,]" he answered, gruffly. "[Ryvik does.]" Koborik grunted. It was difficult to tell if the distance in his eyes spawned from deep thoughts or emotional stirrings. He stepped back and opened the door, revealing an apartment nearly emptied of all furniture and belongings. "[He's not here, but come and make yourself comfortable anyway.]" "[Oh,]" Vixe said plainly and stepped in, curiously looking about. Koborik introduced himself and his wife, Isharnaya, who stood in the kitchen. She looked nothing like her infamous daughter and more like Vixe, with daring, mustard-colored eyes. Koborik, however, was obviously his son's father, aside from his much broader frame. In this faded but cozy three bedroom abode, the couple built a life together, raising two children and working two jobs, fostering dreams and soothing harsh realities, until the kids had gone away and found their own destinies. Who were they now? The state had asked them many questions and searched them many times for answers, looking for motivations and hidden roots for their children's behaviors, but they were forced to reach the same conclusions, repeatedly. Koborik and Isharnaya Sidikan were just two married adults who did their best. There was nothing left to do except fade into obscurity, and apparently, to move. "[Do you mind introducing yourself?]" Isharnaya asked, critically, and it was suddenly very clear that she was Yanim's mother, as they shared very similar voices, full of something hostile and yet strangely playful, like a cat toying with a mouse it intends to eat before eventually releasing it nonetheless. Vixe sat down on the raised concrete block which contained the room's radiator. "[Of course, sorry... My name is Captain Vixe Sidikan. Your son and I went to the naval college together a few years ago. We were good friends. I'm not sure if you're aware, but I've just been released from prison.]" She waited for a response, but the two homeowners seemed reluctant to engage her, as if the whole conversation were some sort of trap waiting to be sprung. "[...I was the one responsible for informing your son of what happened on Rigel.]" "[...I see,]" Koborik replied. "[So you're the reason we have our son back.]" Isharnaya smiled. "[They made him do such cruel things in that black jacket of his. That first visit after he woke up was the first time in years I've seen him at peace with the world.]" "[At peace?]" Vixe repeated. "[Oh yes,] Isharnaya said. "[Has it occurred to you what a burden everything was for him? To be treated like you're the one thing that can stop your kin from killing innocents? He couldn't walk away from it all no matter how much he wanted to, not just because of what he thought was right, but because he could never let go of her.]" Koborik smiled sadly as he sat down beside her, handing over a picture frame he had just picked out of a box. Behind the glass was an old photo of the kids, Yanim and her baby brother Ryvik, on the former's first day at the Academy. "[They're our whole world, Vixe. But no matter how much we loved them when they were little, they never loved us back as hard as they did each other. When Yanim left, Ryvik was devastated. Just devistated... And when the attacks began and she started showing up on the news, I watched everything I thought I knew about my son turn upside down. I think - we think - that by trying to catch up and ...stop her, that he could finally let all that go." "[Nothing's happier to a hurting heart than a childhood memory," Isharnaya added. "I think he wanted to get it over with as soon as possible so that there'd be no 'killer' out there to soil the best memories he had.]" Vixe remembered the conversations she had with the clone. Ryvik had been pushed far, far past the breaking point of an ordinary man. When he claimed that his sister meant nothing to him anymore, Vixe wasn't the one he was reassuring. When the clone hinted at a future career in the GKVR, he was also fully aware that failure, as designed by Vorokar, would mean death. Everything he had said, it seemed, was one form of delusion or another. He was far out of touch with himself. "[And getting that journal into his hands changed all that?]" "[They would have kept lying to him for the rest of his life,]" Koborik explained. "[His initial reaction may have been rough, but... There's so much closure hidden in those pages. It proved that everything he knew in his mind about the world was a carefully constructed fantasy, but the things he knew in his heart were more or less true.]" "[Do you know what he asked us when we spoke to him a month ago?]" Isharnaya asked her. "[He asked if we thought they'd finally let him study art... it's as if all of 'this' is washing off him. Art was his only dream, growing up, and now there's nothing in his way. He got permission to re-enter the State College system for retraining, thanks to the psychological waivers. He can study any damned thing he pleases and nobody can say a word.]" Vixe smiled. "[Is that where he's at now?]" Isharnaya nodded. "[He's moved into the dormitories. He had an empty apartment in the city, but he said he didn't want to live alone. He doesn't want to live here, either.]" "[Why not?]" Vixe asked. "[Same reason as us,]" Koborik replied, "[too many memories. Good ones, bad ones... as long as you live in the past, you'll be preoccupied with them. You'll fool yourself into thinking tomorrow is the enemy. The two of us still have a while left to live out our lives, and there's plenty to be hopeful for, so we've decided to move out to the expanse and live off the ice. Ryvik says he might do the same one day; says it feels like an adventure.]" Vixe was delighted to hear it all. "[Can I tell you something else?]" she asked. "[I was on Rigel, and spent a lot of time with the clone they made of Ryvik. There's no way it was all recorded in that journal; the night the attack on Vostokrebh happened is when he gave it to me-]" "[Dear, we know all this,]" Isharnaya cooed. The young captain wanted to cry. "[You have no idea,]" she countered, bitter-sweetly. "[That clone thought he was the real thing. And that makes him the real thing, as far as I'm concerned and... and... Your son is the bravest person I've ever met. I felt safer with him than I did with my whole accompaniment on the Viokhmar. I want to reunite with him and tell him how I felt throughout it all. I want to be his closest friend, like I was before, but...]" Isharnaya blushed. Koborik looked surprised, but not alarmed. "[I'd like it to be something more than that.]"

The taxi hurriedly carried the small group back to the landing platforms while Neasha and Constantine struggled to explain the situation and why it was so critical. Soon Dwan understood that Belladonna and Argos were collaborating to bury a dangerous artifact, but that neither company trusts the other, and a third entity - the Death Vigil - was also in the picture and had the potential of throwing the arrangement out of balance. And, to boot, if any group gained another Archive and chose to betray the others, that the whole galaxy could suffer mightily. All Dwan had to do was make sure that if Beta made an appearance, that she wouldn't be allowed to manipulate the outcome of events, as her ambition wasn't to gain control of Starvis for herself, but apparently, to allow whichever faction would cause the most damage to come into possession, if only to kill as many people as possible. If she didn't get involved, then Dwan could simply move on with the peace of mind that Belladonna would one day eliminate her, and the fate of the galaxy would be secured, at least for a while. All throughout, Arkadam was mostly silent, giving Dwan a look which made him badly uncomfortable. "On April 1st, we're going to be contacted by Argos and instructed on where to deliver the Archive. The Muramasa will come to us, on the Aurikha, and we'll transfer you onto their crew as an additional security team member along with any other last-minute additions. Then you'll be on your way. Understood, Dvajn?" Constantine asked.

Dwan nodded frequently throughout the entire explanation. As chaotic as it may have been, considering the vastness and criticality of it all, Neasha and Constantine managed to explain it fine enough, even while the silent kanad stared him down, giving him a sense of antsy the other two identified as him visibly showing his understanding of the current state of things. He almost wanted to ask what the kanad's deal was, but he felt it wasn't in his position to ask, especially considering the task at hand. He spoke to answer; "Y-yeah, I understand," he stated with a nod. "I-In the meantime, on the A-Aurikha, where'll I be staying and what'll I be doing?" he asked.

"We have plenty of extra rooms on the Aurikha. We'll assign one to you using biometrics and it'll be yours until you move to the Muramasa," Neasha explained. "We'll pass the word along to Nir that you're Muramasa security. She knows that you have to be a cut above to get on with that crew, so don't expect her to test you much. In fact, she might even ask you to give some demonstrations to the mercenary recruits we've hired on. A lot of them are good with guns but can't hold their own in close quarters, so it would be helpful if you passed along some knowledge in that department." "Does you know any martial arts?" Constantine asked, suddenly realizing how little they knew about the small man in front of them.

Harvey turned his head over from Amy, staring into dead space. Juggling his options in his mind for a moment, nodding his head for a few seconds before his glare goes back to Amy's face. "Yeah Sure...I'm down for this kind crazy gig." Harvey said with a dry tone as he pulled out a chair and sat down at the Amy's table, singling to one of the waiters for another shot of Tox-Shot.

Dwan nodded as Neasha explained, though he began to wonder what kind of person Nir was. Once Constantine asked his question, Dwan nodded with something resembling a frown on his face. "Yeah, I suppose I'm well-versed in many martial arts, whether it be hand-to-hand or with a weapon, like swordsmanship," he stated. "My parents, having traveled together for years before settling down, were aware of the dangers that existed, so my mother trained me, sometimes rather strongly and harshly, in the thaumic arts, while my father taught me many ways of physical and ranged combat, and generally exercised with me," he elaborated, "P-Personally, I don't think I'm that good of a shot! I'm sure I've m-missed more shots than I've hit in my life," he said with an awkward chuckle.

The awkward conversation continued to grind forward, but grew less tense with time and familiarity. Dwan, as it soon became clear, was quite personable. Neasha, especially, began to understand how easily Yanim had come to trust him in the past, but Arkadam seemed to settle into a trance, ignoring everyone as if the arrangement no longer mattered to him. They soon reached the port and boarded the Aurikha for what would become the final reprieve before the most fateful undertaking in the company's existence. --- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1pECni8ESA April 1st, 2385 I didn't sleep much last night. I know most other people in my position would stay behind, but I can't live with that. After all they've done for me and this company, sending them over to Argos and making them deal with this task alone makes me feel sick to my stomach. I owe it to them to stick my neck out, just this once, to show them that I'm not just playing dice with their lives again. If it turns out to be a trap, then I'm just as fucked as they are. Constantine can continue to operate the company without me. Gods... I keep talking about the company. It's not even important, when you think about it. It seems so insignificant compared to what's at stake with the Archives. I can't imagine worse hands for the galaxy's fate to have fallen into than mine, except maybe the psychopaths over at the Death Vigil, or whoever pulls the strings at Argos. But at least, to some degree, it's also in Captain Caine's hands, and the hands of her crew. And I have faith in them- if only I could do more. -Neasha Kyral --- I woke up this morning to find Neasha pacing the halls, alone. The pressure is getting to her, no doubt about it. She told me she's going to join the Muramasa crew and "get back to her roots." I had almost forgotten that she was once a smuggler. Arkadam says he wants to go too, and "finally lay her to rest." He's acting strange again; I almost want to tell him that he can't go because I'm afraid he might interfere, but on the other hand, this was his plan originally. So if it blows up and the whole crew gets wiped out, he'll get what's coming to him. I was worried about what might happen if both of them die out there, and leave me alone with this weapons operation. Nir pointed out that if the Vigil gets the Archives or if Argos has been playing us, it won't exactly matter, and I think she's right. The whole galaxy could change overnight if we fuck this up. I don't care what she thinks. I'm going to ride this out and find a way forward. -Ioannis Constantine --- The world around me feels so fake. They know my mind is damaged, but it doesn't hurt me anymore. Suffering is unreal to me. Life and death is irrelevant. Everything up to this point has been nothing but an exercise in enduring a wasting cycle which is about to be broken. I'm stepping free of this prison: circumstance. And I am bringing them with me.You made me promise to never turn my back on them. I've kept that promise... when all of this is over, they'll realize how much better off we are. I just hope that today, this moment where it begins to converge, doesn't harm them. I don't want to become responsible for any deaths in the next few days, not when we're so close. -Arkadam Sidikan --- The Muramasa thundered its way across the galaxy in warp, heading toward a set of coordinates given the previous day. In fact, the Aurikha was at warp as well, and the two ships would arrive at roughly the same time to make the quick exchange of the Archive, new equipment and a couple of new crew members before departing on the final leg of the journey. The mood was tense, but the crews of both ships were divided based on their optimism or pessimism. Either the pieces were going to fall into place without incident, or the plan was going to unravel all thanks to one or more betrayals, and few could agree exactly where the most likely point of failure would occur. Nonetheless, the Belladonna Company had done everything in its power to prepare for the worst. The scary part was, no matter how much they provided, if worst really came to worst, then it would all be inadequate. They would need help from outside. --- Final Stat Update: Abraxas Insightfulness (All noncombat CH rolls twice as likely) Apothecary (May heal target for 50% HP without CH roll, base ATK 0.5 instead of 1.0) HP: 155 ATK: 0.5 DEF: 5 Alex Willpower (100HP instead of 50, immune to enemy CH crit rolls) Contender (1.5x melee DMG, 15 DMG added to attack once per battle on humanoid target) HP: 156 ATK: 1.0 DEF: 11 Arkadam Malevolence (All combat CH rolls twice as likely, surprise attacks deal x2 DMG) Desperation (When either his or Yanim's HP is under 20, x2 DMG) HP: 79 ATK: 1.25 DEF: 9 Dvajn Rennaissance Man (Using different methods of attack - ranged, melee, or CH-based, increases ATK by .25 per turn, .75 max) Thaumatics (Able to roll CH for metaphysical abilities) HP: 63 ATK: 1.5 DEF: 9 Eve Durability (DEF Tech base value 8 instead of 5) Hacked! (Once per battle, can mark a machine or a power-armored opponent whose next attack will backfire) HP: 79 ATK: 1.25 DEF: 12 Golem Durability (DEF Tech base value 8 instead of 5) Hydraulics (+10 DMG to all melee attacks after ATK multiplier, 1/3CH for 3x melee DMG overall) HP: 99 ATK: 1.25 DEF: 10 Iron Willpower (100HP instead of 50, immune to enemy CH crit rolls) Knockout (On Melee DMG rolls >7, 1/3CH for incapacitation) HP: 100 ATK: 2.0 DEF: 5 Karl Willpower (100HP instead of 50, immune to enemy CH crit rolls) Hunter (Can fire a powerful sluground which deals triple damage once per battle.) HP: 100 ATK: 1.0 DEF: 5 Taylor Willpower (100HP instead of 50, immune to enemy CH crit rolls) Suppression (Attacks cause enemies to deal 50% DMG on next round of combat) HP: 195 ATK: 1.5 DEF: 9 Sting Exoskeleton (If an enemy's DMG roll minus the Aracaan's DEF roll is less than 5, no DMG is dealt) Quickdraw (ATK is rolled 4 times per turn, with the weakest roll x4 comprising DMG) HP: 50 ATK: 2.25 DEF: 5

There was a subtle lurch as the Aurikha dropped out of warp. Neasha, staring out the bridge windows intently, felt stress wash through her body, tearing her up from the inside out. It was time to be a leader, and she wasn't ready. She silently turned around, finding Arkadam and Constantine equally uncomfortable with the anticipation. Constantine met her gaze with sympathy, but there was something unforgiving in the kanad's eyes. She wondered, once all was settled, who will look back and realize they've failed the other. Not very far away, less than an AU, the Muramasa arrived as well. The ship's proximity sensors picked it up immediately, as this was a patch of dead space, far from any star or settlement. They were in the southeast, again, a few hours from Tetrum IX, not that it was relevant. The two ships closed on each other, their glides effortlessly bringing them within reach once more in a matter of minutes after more than a week of separation. The force fields were activated, the blast shields were lowered, and Eve easily guided the frigate into the hangar, taking up roughly half the available space comfortably. The crew would exit to find the original Muramasa stripped down, with all of its metal plating having been recycled into TAC-85 rifles (in a limited run stamped with "Muramasa Edition," no less), leaving a partially-disassembled skeletal frame with numerous obvious welding marks from the desperate repair done after the Voyak job. The bridge, now exposed for all to see, was jam-packed with about twice as many electronic components as it came with, many of which had been installed just the in six months preceding the recruitment of the now-famous crew of the same name. Should they survive, the Belladonna Company would endeavor to install the same in-atmospheric warp and advanced aerodynamic logic into the Muramasa II- and this time, the on-screen prompts would display in a language the Captain could understand. Finally, the old bridge controls would be cut down to just the bare essentials, and would serve as the company's advanced flight simulator, so that all future pilot recruits would be "trained on the Muramasa." It was strange; the company had a life of its own that was unconcerned with the issue of the Archives. The latter almost felt like a distraction from the cause of building a future for many. This was the duality of the company. It was grungy, morally-gray and undeniably smaller and weaker than its opponents, and yet it stood for matters so large that they couldn't be contained within a single mission statement. It was impossible to provide the sort of leadership needed to manage every aspect, and yet it rolled onward. The crew entered the bustle of the hangar to find their leaders waiting for them. Instead of a big speech, as the crew had come to expect and slightly dread, Neasha simply greeted them. "Welcome back," she said plainly. "We've made some preparations for the next task, just in case things go wrong." The crew felt a sense of unease. When did things ever not go wrong? It was more like Neasha said, "here's your tools, now go save the galaxy." But that isn't what she said nor what she meant. "I've got a couple of new crew members to introduce. This is Dvajn, and that's Harvey," she explained, motioning to Amy, who had arrived a few hours earlier at the Aurikha's previous stop."They can help bolster our strength. The battle droid here is also going with you. Its name is Golem. Don't expect it to be very talkative. And finally, Arkadam and I are coming along as well. We'll help in any way we can, if you need it." "Any questions?" Constantine asked as Nir's mercenaries began loading the Muramasa with additional weaponry. The lift doors opened behind them, and several melora technicians wheeled the Archive into the room. "I'm sure our new employees would like to introduce themselves," Constantine quickly added.

Taylor looked over the new crewmembers as well as those traveling about, loading weapons and equipment aboard the Muramasa II. If Jag's visions and predictions were right, then it was obvious that the worst was going to occur. Or at least things were going to come close to it. As the new members were named off, Taylor gave a nod to each. She honestly wished that she had met them under much better circumstances than this. When it was brought up that Arkadam and Neasha were coming as well, Taylor finaly spoke up. "You're coming too, Neasha? You do remember what Jag told me, right?" she asked, tilting her head. Everyone else on the crew could die very soon, so why needlessly throw her life away as well? She then cut a rather dark look to Arkadam. All this shit that they were about to head into was practically his fault, so she honestly didn't see why he wasn't locked away in a cell still. They could have simply fired that thing that they were rolling into the room into a star or a black hole, and this could have been avoided. Thanks to his meddling, they were likely to get slaughtered like mindless cattle, and Starvis would achieve his freedom and the enslavement of the galaxy.

Ira placed a hand on Taylor's shoulder. "You good, sis?" She held her helmet firmly in one hand. A couple of meters away Karl sat silently on a shipping crate while cleaning his rifle.

After the taxi arrived at the port, Dwa- Dvajn looked upon the Aurikha for a moment before grabbing his things and boarding the ship with the others. As Neasha had explained, he was swiftly assigned a room on the Aurikha using biometrics, fittingly enough next to what appeared to be a recreational space, whether it be for exercise or for personal enjoyment. He put his things in the room, and changed out of his clothes, into a more casual attire, consisting of a pair of black pants, a grey shirt and brown shoes, a bit of a mix and mash from his bartending attire and non-working attire. After taking out his equipment and giving himself a stretch, he'd leave the room to be introduced to the Chief Security Officer on board, Nir Ogana. After explaining that he's Muramasa security, Dvajn pleasantly surprised the khergian with his grasp of the native tongue, leading to hearty laughter. After a brief test, Nir caught on to the fact that there was more to the short man than she realized, and challenged him to a close quarters match. The resultant half-hour long scuffle between the two, ending in a tie and two sweaty individuals, would prompt her to suggest that he give some demonstrations to the mercenary recruits they've hired on, whilst lighting a cigarette. Out of respect, he told her he'd do so, but not to expect miracles from a man who's likely doing demonstrations to men twice his height. In the three days leading up to the 1st of April, Dvajn committed himself to a combination of research (to find out in depth what's been happening these last two years, both from internal documentation and external journalism), exercise (by himself for the most part, as he intimidated the recruits immensely after his demonstrations) and acquaintment when possible, knowing it would be best to get to know the others better. As he looked into the events of the past two years, the more he realized the shocking impact of his decision to return with Lion - the steady growth of the TBC/BC, its impact on the geopolitics throughout the galaxy, the lives reshaped by his decision, not counting the deaths that were seemingly credited to Yanim, but from internal documentation reveal that they could've only been done by Beta... Aside from the sense of responsibility he already felt for unleashing her upon this universe, he felt a greater guilt reading of the countless dead in the last two years, telling himself, truthfully or not, that they were his fault... all of it was squarely on his shoulders. But from the sadness he gained from these revelations, rose something mightier - a determination to end this. Under his watch, he knew that he had to make sure no one died, otherwise the guilt would kill him. No more would people suffer for his mistakes. If she did appear today, he would make her pay, seeing her as emblematic of all his mistakes in this world. She would feel the fury that burns brighter than ever, and regret that she had ever decided to manipulate him.... to use him as a tool... to fuck with him. --- Dvajn was looking at the original Muramasa's skeletal remains when he noted that the crew of the current Muramasa was getting off. He stood ready next to the other new crew members, giving them solemn looks. Neasha explained what was going on, and as she did, he gave the crew he was joining a look - all of these people are here in effect because of his actions. He straightened his posture even further, having decided to stand in the armor that Lion had made him to show just how serious he was regarding this "job". He was about to introduce himself when the madame in front spoke up in regards to Neasha and Arkadam joining them. He stopped himself, somewhat interested in the answer to her question himself.

"You good, sis?" Taylor glanced over and gave a thumbs up. Truthfully, she was ready. She had settled things in her personal life, and she intended to lead the crew as Yanim and the others would have wanted her to. Everything else would be in the hands of fate. If she lived, wonderful. If she died...then so be it. She was more worried about the others.

After a short and awkward silence, Dvajn stepped forth and spoke up. "Hell-o!" he started, his tone being as equally awkward as the silence which preceded it. He coughed a bit before continuing: "I-I am Dvajn Karlsson, and I will be joining you all as a member of your ship's security," he stated with his hand on his chest, "It is an honor and pleasure to be working with you all," he finished with a bow.

"I know what Jag said. But I also know that Yanim could've stayed behind at Vostokrebh," Neasha replied, coldly. "I may not be the leader she was, but I have a hand in something much greater than this company and my conscience won't allow me to hang back and hide from it." "...Understood, ma'am." responded Taylor. She seemed set on it, so she wouldn't attempt to change her mind. Hopefully this wouldn't end in a repeat of Vostokrebh, just with everyone dead. She looked back to Arkadam for a brief moment, before turning her attention back to the new crew members. "Welcome aboard. My name is Taylor Caine. I will be your captain aboard the Muramassa II for the forseeable future." she said, giving them a bit of a smile. Some positivity wouldn't hurt. Especially now, since they were in severe lack of it. She looked to the shorter man geared up in armor, as he seemed as though he was about to say something before she brought up Neasha joining them.

Dvajn returned Taylor's smile with his own - even if he hadn't done his research, he could just tell from looking at her how much her time with the company had impacted her, but in spite of that, she smiled in face of the coming event; with what he's read, he can certainly tell that she's an excellent captain. He looked over at the melora technicians, before shifting his eyes towards the Archive proper. His smile faded into a more neutral, solemn-looking expression. Even if she didn't appear, today was just going to be one of those days.

Ira cleared her throat and extended a hand towards Dvajn. "Ira. Bounty hunter." She then went on to greet the other recruits. Sitting comfortably on his crate, which was filled with combat rations, Karl observed the recruits with silence. One would think that such a change in attitude would be concerning but it was in fact a personal rite and a habit of Karl; he found both tracking and hunting to be far easier after hours of silent mental and physical preparation.

There was a chime simultaneously on Neasha and Arkadam's tablets. They each read the message contained within, before Neasha spoke. "Coordinates. Where to?" Arkadam tapped his screen a few times, causing a holographic projection of the galaxy to display in the air in front of him. Moving his hand about, he zeroed in on the point marked by the numbers. "...Nothing. It's uncharted," he replied. It was the first time Dwan had heard him speak since the two first encountered each other on Nyx several days earlier. "The Muramasa can make the jump in... six hours at max warp. Maybe less." He continued to tap at the device with a look of frustration, as if he were trying to figure something out. After a few more seconds, he turned off the hologram. "Alright then," Neasha said. "We'll save the rest of our introductions until we're on the move. Let's get that Archive on the frigate, people!" The melora hurriedly obliged, wheeling the large, bluish box onto the craft so that the Muramasa team itself could get itself settled in for the departure. "Good luck, all of you!" Constantine called after them. Nir grinned, apparently unconcerned despite the serious atmosphere. As quickly as they had entered the hangar, they lifted off and glided back out into space to orient themselves. Neasha presented a small case which proved to be filled with injector penlets, a parting gift from Hestia, back on the Aurikha. The same nanites which had protected the crew on previous outings would once again guard their health. Arkadam proceeded to the armory to pick out a weapon for his own use, as his Type-1 Carbine had been lost at Vostokrebh. It took him a while, wandering the halls and avoiding eye contact with the crew, until he found what he was looking for, as he had never been aboard the new vessel. Thanks to the latest editions, the arsenal available to choose from was fairly impressive, far better than the stock kept aboard the original Muramasa.

A rustle came from one of the ammunition cabinets as Sting peaked behind the door at Arkadam. She was dressed extremely casualy, missing her coat and her hat, adorned in her unwashed crude tanktop. As she recognized Arkadam she quickly reached for all her four guns and pointed them at him, "Ain't you 'sposed to be lock up." She said with a michty suspicious tone, but without hostility.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJwzSPq_j6E After only about two hours, the Muramasa dropped out of warp with a thump, immediately inundated with lock-on warnings. "Oh what the hell is this...?" Neasha complained as the HUD displayed the location of three destroyer-sized ships in the distance, only visible thanks to a giant gaseous cloud behind them. The ship had been forced out of warp by a massive spacial disruption. After a tense moment, the target lock was released, and the comm system chimed with another message. Arkadam stepped up from the rear of the bridge. "Friendlies- it's a checkpoint! They have to know we weren't followed. See?" he explained, displaying the fresh communication. "New coordinates." "How did they know our vector!?" Neasha snapped, accusingly. "Same way they knew where to send their messages last time," Arkadam replied, exasperated. "You don't think, at this point, that they'd entrust this information to the relay network?" Neasha gasped. "They know where the Aurikha is?" "Of course they do," the kanad replied, flatly. "But now that the Archive is with us, it means nothing to them anymore." He punched the new coordinates into the navigation console. "So the end destination is somewhere else... and closer than the first one. That was just a diversion, apparently... The next leg is about half an hour. Still no data on the destination." He pressed a few more buttons on his tablet before looking up to see Neasha and the others staring daggers at him. "You can activate the warp at any time. Don't make our 'friends' suspect anything's amiss." "Bastard..." Neasha cursed under her breath. "Alright, get us up to speed on the new vector," she ordered, and Eve did as she was instructed. The Muramasa turned sharply, began to accelerate, and then leaped again into the blur of warp as it cleared the security measures put in place by Argos. The leaders continued to bicker off and on as the ship hurtled toward destiny, but once the final obstacle had been cleared, Arkadam returned to being aloof and dismissive. Neasha, on the other hand, was growing more and more temperamental. She needed to see the vault, not just because of the task at hand, but to reassure her that the galaxy was not, in fact, so motivated by greed that it would destroy itself with the terrible device they were tasked with carrying. She was ready to bury the box for the sake of all people, and for the sake of herself. Another shudder went through the craft as it arrived at the final destination. In the windows ahead, a large, oddly-colored marble of a planet awaited- along with a small fleet of Argos-owned naval vessels protecting leased YsCom industrial vehicles. There was clearly a major operation taking place in orbit, but there were point-of-interest beacons for the ship's navigational computer to lock onto on the surface. The largest of the Argos ships hailed the arriving frigate, and by Neasha's order, it was answered. Ah, I'm glad you all made it safely. I trust you have what we're here to seal away. It was Red, and Arkadam replied in the affirmative. Red then explained the next step: Good. I hope the checkpoint didn't scare you too much. We can never be too sure when it comes to these sorts of matters, especially after what happened last time. My team and I will lead the way; we have a small shuttlecraft that you'll need to follow to the ground. The vault is well-hidden and there's going to be a bit of an overland trip to get the Archive where it needs to go. Or, I suppose you could say underland. "What, it's in a cave?" Neasha asked. You got it. The caverns are deep and highly dangerous. Lucky for you all, we went ahead and mapped out the safest paths, and we've got all the equipment you need to put this thing in deep. The irony wasn't lost on those who had been present for the retrieval of the third Archive: the object had been buried deep and well protected once before, by the sanghvi. Now, it was beginning to become clear why it had been that way, and yet how ineffectual such measures would be in a few thousand, or perhaps, a few hundred years. But like it or not, the crew could not choose another fate for the Archives. Arkadam crossed his arms. "And the same thing is happening far away from here, correct?" As far as we could manage. Listen- this planet has no name, and we want it to stay that way. Same as the other world we've found. This vault has been ready for the last three days, while the other will become operational within the next 12 hours. The number of souls who are aware of this is so small that in only a hundred years' time, the vaults should be fully lost to time. We have our Achive on standby so we can rush it to the burial site as soon as it's ready, or at the first sign of trouble elsewhere. Everything just needs to go right for a few more hours. "Good," Arkadam replied. "I suppose that settles any doubt on behalf of the crew," he snarked. Red seemed almost as unammused as Taylor. I'm not surprised by that at all. We're the ones who got you all wrapped up in this situation. We weren't fully forthcoming about it, and I know it takes time to rebuild a working relationship when you take advantage of someone's trust like that. Captain Caine. I would just like to personally apologize to you and your crew. Maybe if your former Boss had known what was at stake, she would have avoided it entirely, and two of the three Archives would be safely tucked away in the eastern empires. But there's no use agonizing over the same mistakes; we have a job to do. I'll speak to you more on the ground. "Understood," Neasha said. "Eve, watch for the shuttle and take us in." A few minutes later, the Muramasa fell into formation behind a sleek transport and a pair of escort vessels as it entered the atmosphere of the unnamed world. It was vast and nearly-lifeless, but snaked with ancient rivers which carved deep canyons into the painted rock which would put the Terran Grand Canyon to shame. The sky was a heavy pinkish color from some unknown compounds which were apparently safe for breathing. The gravity felt stronger than on most inhabited worlds, and the temperature scales showed that the planet was unpleasantly hot, even before the crew landed on a nondescript portion of rock which overlooked yet another deep gorge. The ramps extended from the two isolated vessels as the escorts sped away back into orbit. From the shuttle, Red, Checkered, and a handful of Argos operatives with spelunking gear. Far below, near the running water, was a black speck which, up close, the crew would find to be large enough to drive boring equipment through, which is exactly what their allies had done before drilling a roadway deep into the cave system concealed below the surface. But for now, they stood on the edge of that canyon and felt the blistering wind. "Don't get overwhelmed," Red urged. "We've practiced this descent enough times that you just need to focus on protecting the Archive. Speaking of which..." Neasha motioned to the crew to bring it down the ramp. There was a tense moment as the bluish device appeared, but it was quickly broken. "You made the right choice," Red said quietly. If the crew could see his features below his mask, they would know that he was warmly smiling. "Arkadam, you might have just saved the galaxy." Arkadam looked at the ground under his feet for a moment. "Not yet," he said. "Yes, of course," Red added. "We need to get it locked away, first."

Iron observed the Argos security forces quietly. He spoke nothing as the archive was rolled down the ramp but simply looked towards Taylor --- Karl held his rifle against his chest with his hands crossed over the weapon in a sort of resting manner. He inspected the deep gorge below and looked up at Red. "How deep is it?"

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