Fianh does her best to look inscrutable as she listens with scepticism to the tale: every smuggler has heard the one about a 'friend of a friend' who was on the crew of some ship that was discovered floating empty in space....
Bet she's going to tell me that their dinner was on the table, still warm.
On the other hand, if it genuinely has happened this time, that would be a story worth hearing about.
She rolls her eyes as the half-elf casually orders her about, but it's not worth arguing over. "I don't see how this helps us interrogate gangers," is her only observation.
Fianh doesn't see anything else though Astrianna does notice that there is a lock on the backpack.
Astrianna furrows her eyebrows at the lock on the backpack, futilely tugging on it. "Hey, there's a locked portion here. Kreel probably had the key on him? Unless it's in the room here somewhere. This must be where he kept his secrets!"
Glazed into a slightly catatonic state by Astri's constant talking, Fi belatedly realises that the tone of voice has changed to one that indicates some input is required.
Oh. A lock. Something to DO.
Finally.
Drawing a few useful bits of kit out from under her clothing, she politely motions Astrianna out of the way and gets to work. Her face takes on a look of total concentration, and the tip of her tongue pokes out one side of her mouth as she focuses on the challenge (a habit from childhood that she never outgrew).
Astri can talk all she likes, now; Fi won't even notice.
It takes Fianh quite a while to get through the lock. It's good quality and of Dwarven make so even with her focus it takes a few minutes of work and repeated attempts for her to finally spring the lock.
Inside she doesn't find too much. A few sets of clothes. Personal identification documents. A credstick containing 40 credits. There's also an engineering tool kit, a medpatch, a tube of bonding epoxy, and two gear clamps.
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Leila was very tempted to sit around and discuss the latest gossip (ghost ship! Those are verry interesting!) but they had work to do! ... Maybe after? Yeah! We'll have earned a break by then! Should the worst come and they didn't have time for one (what ever would the Starfinder Union say about that?) she'd just have to pester her party about it later.
---
The halfling was eager to start digging through the computer and didn't at all mind Astri's orders. After all, she was used to tall folk waving their arms around.
But first she had to take care of the greatest challenge! Getting the chair up to appropriate height so she could sit comfortable by the desk. Luckily Kreel was a dwarf, so she didn't need to change much. Juuuuust a bit. There!
"Let's see what he got!" Leila announced and flipped the computer on. She didn't expect it to be quite that easy, but she was prepared to work for it. That only made it so much sweeter when they found the plot! "What-da-ya-all-think? Maybe some love-letters from a jealous miner? Or maybe some conspiracy ... Oooooh! What if it was the ghost-ships crew; they were hauling a rock so it makes sense if they are also miners! But oh so tragically they lost their bodies in a space accident - and now they need new ones! Yeah! Maybe?"
The halfling continues to sprout ideas as she unpacks her computer access kit and tries to tackle any obstacles with the help of Mr 4.
Leila finds a lock screen blocking her way that she's not able to bypass. She does find a few things pinned to the lock screen though.
There's a recent message from someone with the initials OS that you can only see the top few lines of.
Yeah you're right but you know we need whatever contracts we can get. But hey if you can really...
There's also a news ticker widget that takes up a fair bit of the lock screen. News items are categorized into topics such as Diaspora, Absalom Station, and Mining News!. Highlighted for later reading are two topics....
Drift Rock Dispute. Hardscrabble Collective and Astral Excavations lay competing claim to mystery quarantined asteroid.
and
UNION ALERT: Greedy fat cats at AE threaten to take away the livelihood of the HC members of our mining family.
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"Ba de mei! Stupid dwarven locks..." Fi is out of practice, but luckily they have some time in hand and eventually she gets it to click open. "Finally." She gives Astrianna a sidelong look and a quick smile, as her fellow conspirator in lock-picking: "There was this one time, on Castrovel-" she suddenly remembers that she's not just talking to the half-elf, but to her video recorder "-when absolutely nothing happened."
Leaving Astrianna to sort through whatever is in the now-open backpack she wanders over to where Leila is trying to bypass the computer's security.
"Oh, is that an old-model Lightwave? If you put a pin in the reset port, it should default to the factory-set password - but all the data is just shunted to the backup drive rather than being deleted. Makes it harder to retrieve, but it's still there."
Leila perks up when she sees the first headline. She could almost feel like she recognized it from somewhere! How odd?! Then Fi snapped her out of that strange mood. "Mhm? Mm. Mm!" The halfling was surprisingly quite once she actually had a task she needed to concentrated for.
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Astrianna watches Fi work on the lock with great interest, moving from side to side in an attempt to get the best angle. "Wow, you can pick locks?! I've only ever seen poeople do it on the trids. Do you think you could teach me sometime?"
A minute or two passes and Fi is still messing with the lock. The half-elf's excited look has slowly faded to one of apathy. "In the trids it only takes them a few seconds, you know... But I mean you can't believe everything you see on the infosphere, plus I'm sure they were portraying master thieves and such."
After five minutes she had gotten bored, and was now checking her comm for new messages, potential advertisers, and managing her social media profiles.
Suddenly a strange music fills the apartment- it sounds like someone playing a harp a like a guitar. Rapid, airy chords are accompanied by a flute and possibly someone banging a trashcan lid against a tree. To those that know their music it contained all the motifs of the classical Elven composition Elen sila lumenn omentilmo played in a bizzare, though not unpleasant, avant-garde fashion.
The half-elf looks at the corner of her holoscreen and rolls her eyes. She taps a few buttons and puts in an earpiece. It was now abundantly clear this was Astrianna's ringtone as the music cuts off and she answers a call.
She talks loudly and without consideration as to whether or not anyone is hearing, voice growing more and more frustrated.
Ripping out the earbud with excessive force, Astrianna makes a high-pitched growling noise at no one in particular. She closes her comm, shakes her head, and lets out a dramatic sigh. Her attention whips to Fi as the lock opens. "Thank the gods. What? Well yeah, absolutely nothing happens on Castrovel every day, trust me."
She kneels down and starts going through the stuff. "It's just equipment. Medpatch, epoxy, tools. These identification papers could come in handy though. Well, I'm pretty sure this counts as evidence so we'll have to keep hold of it."
Fianh's assistance is just enough to get Leila into Duravor's computer.
There isn't too much stuff in here. Some folders containing notes on his recruitment activities, a link to the FaceSpace social media application, and a popular messaging application that consolidates all of Duravor's various communications, from local CMS (comm message system) to intraplanetary Infosphere mails as well as interplanetary Driftsphere mails into one place.
You can see messages to Chiskisk and Kerpask in the message app. One of the latest is as follows.
I told you going into business with AE was a mistake. The negligence of those bloodsucking bastards got my cousin killed you know. Anyway I'll do what I can from here. I mean it only makes sense for SFS to be the ones to go onto the Rock to find out what, by Angradd's beard, happened there. - DK
And the Reply
Yeah you're right but you know we need whatever contracts we can get. But hey if you can really convince the Starfinders to get onto the Rock and recommend that the HC claim on it be upheld then can't really ask more than that. - OS
"Oh look at this!" Leila starts to dig trough Kreels private conversations. Seeing the latest message between Kreel and OS she wonders loudly. "What's 'AE'?"
Fi listens with half an ear to Astrianna as she lists the contents of the pack.
"Epoxy, huh? Well, it'll come in handy if we need some peace and quiet - why not pick everything up and bring it with us."
She reads through the messages on Kreel's computer, giving the halfling a quick smile to acknowledge her hacking skills. "Good work, Otaku-san. DK is Kreel, no idea about the others. Oh, hold on." She points to the news bulletins on Kreel's computer. "If I had to guess, AE is Astral Excavation, HC is Hardscrabble Collective. No idea what they have to do with Kreel, though."
Clearly deciding that, whatever they came here to do, they've done, she looks at the others. "OK. Which gang gets the first visit? They owe me for a dead dwarf." Plus interest. And it's surprising how quickly it adds up.
As it happens one of the many packages that Fianh delivered as Gorsen's errand girl was to the Hardscrabble Collective so she does know a fair bit.
It's a loose cooperative business enterprise made up of stubborn asteroid miners that operates primary among the scattered planetoids of the Diaspora. It has no official base of operations but the Armada surrounding Abslaom Station is where they can be found and contacted. They hire their ships out to other, more established business concerns.
It's made up of about a dozen or so ship's crews and are very diverse as a far as species make up goes. They're fiercely loyal to each other though and sometimes seem to operate like a clan of miners rather than a business concern. They have good relations with other space miner organizations.
Astral Extractions is a powerful mining conglomerate with business ties throughout the Pact Worlds. Exactly the kind of business that the Hardscrabble Collective would sign a contract with.
A quick look at their Infosphere presence will show a slick corporate site full of pictures of happy sentients whose lives have been enriched by AE's noble mission of retrieving riches buried in the earth of the asteroids and moons at the fringes of the Pact World and even beyond for use in wonderful things such as medicine and industry and technology.
A quick search will also bring up the latest news for both of these groups which involves their mutual point of contention. Quickly summarized AE contracted the HC ship The Aceronto go out into the Vast to find new mining prospects. On their way back the Aceron apparently encountered a mysterious asteroid floating in the Drift and towed it back into the Material Plane on their way back to Absalom Station. By the time it got to the Station with the Asteroid towed behind it the ship was deserted and promptly quarantined by Station Security. AE claims the Rock is theirs as the Aceron retrieved it while under contract with them, HC claims the Rock is theirs as the contract was for identifying mining concerns in the Vast not to retrieve anything they found in the Drift. HC also seems quite distressed due to their missing comrades.
Astrianna walks up to the computer terminal after Fi and Leila have hacked it, leaning in and scanning the messages. The half-elf was wearing Kreel's backpack, which was fll of his stuff- seems she's taken a liking to it.
After Fi's exposition dump (which she captured on camera for her own exposition dump later), she seems thoughtful for a few moments. "Kreel was going to petition the Starfinder Society to send a group to investigate the quarantined rock and somehow intervene on behalf of the Hardscrabble Collective so they can keep it. Obviously this would have been bad for AE... do you all think they put out a hit on Kreel so the SFS wouldn't get involved? And the assassin used the gang fight as cover? Or even set up the gang fight like Fi suggested?"
She taps a finger against her pouty, full lips for a few more moments. "Wasn't expecting to get into potential corporate warfare. Who else would have known that Kreel was going to intervene? Chiskisk, Kerpask, and this OS person? Leila, can you pull up the contact information of everyone in that chat, especially OS , and find out who they are? I'm going to make a call."
Flipping open her wrist-mounted comm and putting in an earbud, she ignores the low battery warning for the fifth time today and places a call to Lorespire complex. Tapping her foot in time with the waiting tone, a grin blossoms on her face as she recognizes the voice of the human staffing the information desk as the one from before. "Hey cutie, Astrianna here. Forward me to Chiskisk. Also, have you reconsidered my offer for dinner tonight...? ... Oh, your girlfriend can come too, don't worry about that. I can be very persuasive. Hells, we can all-" The half-elf's expression flips to one of annoyance as she gets placed on hold in the middle of speaking.
"Hey Chiskisk, we've got a potential lead on the Kreel situation. Did he mention to you that quarantined rock Hardscabble Collctive and Astral Excavations were fighting over? Did he want you to send anyone to it? Do you know who all he told about the SFS potentially getting involved?"
Chiskisk is available and, unable to communicate telepathically, their voice comes over the comm unit. It's raspy with a bit of chitter to it very much like Kerpask's.
He did say he wished to talk to me about that whole sorry state of affairs but we did not get a chance to discuss it in any detail. Of course his FaceSpace account is public and recently his feed is full of reshared news of the dispute over the asteroid from Drift Space. Quite decidedly in favour of the miners rather than the corporation so I suppose you could say that he told everyone in known space about his sympathies. Why, have you discovered something?
Astrianna clicks her tongue against the surface of her mouth in thought, suddenly stopping as she realizes she might have said something offensive in Shirren. "Hmm, no not exactly, just following up on some hunches. Kreel was sending some messages to someone called "OS", which may or may not be a Hadscrabble miner, saying he was going to try and convince the SFS to send a group onto the quarantined rock to secure a recommendation from the SFS that Hardscrabble get to keep it. Come to think of it, maybe that's what he had in mind for us? Anyway, if AE knew Kreel was going to try and swing outside forces into this spat they might have put a hit on him. We don't have any proof, we're just looking for sentients that would have known Kreel was going to go to the SFS for help in this dispute."
Ah this is quite an accusation so I'm glad that you're being cautious about it. Chiskisk replies to Astrianna It seems unbelievable that that anyone would go after us merely on the suspicion that we might potentially aid their legal opponents but some corporations can unfortunately be quite ruthless. Is there anything else you wish to know?
Fi is NOT pleased at being videoed while she's giving her exposition, but making a fuss will just draw more attention. Instead she keeps things as brief as she can, leaving her previous involvement with the Collective out of the story completely. She's fortunate in that only two people on the Station know of her recent past with Gorsen and thus by extension with the Collective: Kreel (who's conveniently dead); and Astrianna (who read Kreel's notes from his computer, but who's conveniently not interested in anyone except herself).
The half-elf does however have a keen grasp of intrigue and politics. Fi listens in on her conversation with the Shirren.
Is there anything else you wish to know?
"Yes. Please to tell us of any gangs known to work with Hardcore Collective. Or Astral Excavation."
It seems likely that at least one of the gangs they encountered has been working with AE. Paying a gang to kill Kreel would be a neat way of keeping the whole thing at arm's length.
Oh dear I wouldn't know anything about that sort of thing you'll have to go somewhere else to find that out I'm afraid Chiskisk replies.
Astrianna decides that Chiskisk isn't going to be much help in this whole matter. What does Chiskisk even DO? I should ask later.
"No that's all, thanks for the help. Astrianna out." She closes the comm link with some satisfaction- she'd always wanted to say that last part.
While Leila is checking Kreel's contact list she wanders into the kitchenette in search of some food, or better yet some kind of libations.
The half-elf speaks over the sounds of moving cans and boxes, searching for something immediately edible. "Well we should talk to the Level 21er's next, They will be the most friendly towards us."
Oh dear I wouldn't know anything about that sort of thing you'll have to go somewhere else to find that out I'm afraid Chiskisk replies.
Fi frowns in reply; not that Insect-san can see her.
"Well we should talk to the Level 21er's next, They will be the most friendly towards us."
"Have to find them first. Running around Level 21 sounds like a non-starter."
Organised crime has a particular contempt for gangs: areas where the Fellowship is powerful back on the homeworld are safe to walk at night; and businesses are untroubled (provided, of course, that they pay their protection koku). Those who try and cause trouble never make it to the courts, or the police - they just disappear. Fi therefore has no links directly with the gangs, but she's sure she can find someone who can tell her group what they need to know.
Astrianna finds the fridge in the little kitchnette bereft of food, however there is a six pack of well regarded Dwarven beer.
Fianh: Not all Tian left Absalom Station to found their own planet upon the advent of Drift Travel. In fact only the very adventurous and ambitious joined the spurt of colonization that came about after the Triune granted the gift of Drift Travel to sentients.
Those who stayed behind had no trouble preserving Tian culture amidst the remaining peoples of Golarion on Absalom Station by forming primarly Tian neighbourhoods clustered in the Ring. Those closer to The Eye are either gentrified tourist spots relying on Station Security for law and order or communities of wealthy Tian who maintain their own forces to maintain peace.
The neighbourhoods easily accessible by the Spike or close to the Docks however organize themselves along lines that are much more familiar to Fianh. The ones near the Docks are also ones that she has knowledge of as the contraband she delivered to the Armada would be smuggled into the Station through them. Walking around one of these Fianh is easily able to spot a bar frequented by the kind of people she would be looking for.
Astrianna removes the six pack from the refrigerator, setting it on the counter. "Saltbeard Stout! It tastes like liquid pretzels, I'd highly recommend it. Kreel had some good taste."
She takes one of the cans, clearing a space in the middle of the apartment and holding the beer can with revernance. "Okay everyone, watch this. This is probably the greatest thing I learned at college."
The half-elf places one hand on the bottom of the aluminum can while the other quickly opens the top, a satisfying hiss echoing in the small apartment. She places her lips on the opening and knocks back the beer, holding it nearly paralell to her body.
Astrianna gulps down the entire beer in the matter of a few sesconds. As the last of the foam pours into her mouth she takes the can down, smashing her forehead into the empty container and crumpling it into nothing more than a metal wafer.
Her hands ball into fists, arms turned to right angles, and elbows at her side. Her hips thrust forward and she belches with the sonic force of a Destrachan pack going in for the kill.
This lasts several seconds, tapering off to gurgling rumble. She nonchalantly staigthens up and wipes off her mouth. "I tribute that to Duravor Kreel! Angradd bless his soul."
Astrianna proceeds to toss the can into the recycling chute. "Beer? Anyone? Seriously, they're good."
Fi watches Astri's beer-related antics impassively; it's impossible to tell whether she's impressed, bored, or incredulous at what the half-elf considers to be the pinnacle of her education. "I don't drink alcohol" is her only remark.
When you work with the Fellowship (or any similar group, for that matter) very little is committed to writing and so you develop a knack for remembering things. Fi has never been to Absalom Prime before (preferring the much less rigorously-policed Armada for her business dealings) but she knows that the Fellowship has links here.
"There's a bar by the Docks - the Jade Lotus - it's part-funded by some friends of mine. I'm sure the regulars there can tell us something, if put in a good mood. Make sure you stay in the bar, and don't wander round the gaming tables." Fi gives the others an inscrutable smile, dropping back into her trivid Tian persona. "Hope you feeling lucky? Please to follow me. Oh, and please no cameras." The people who frequent these places tend to be publicity-shy, and not terribly shy in letting you know about it.
Prospero-4, who reluctantly disconnects from Kreel's computer, turns around to see Astrianna handing him a can of beer. Curious, the android, takes the can, tries to find instructions on opening it, (luckily having missed the half-elf's shotgunning), and lacking too many options to do so, opens it.
He drinks half of the can, before putting it away. "Nourishing. Thank you.", he says, betraying no emotion whether he enjoyed the taste.
"Level 21, then?"
Astrianna is working on her second beer (much more slowly this time) while Fi explains her plan to gather more information at this bar. "Sure. I'll turn off and put away my LifeCorder IF you'll let me interview you later about what happened. I can even make you anonymous! Voice modulation, shadowed room, the works. Way more mysterious and interesting that way."
The half-elf glances at Prospero putting down his beer, obviously half-finished. "Does alcohol even do anything to you? We could get you some viruses at this Jade Lotus place if you want a buzz."
She looks back to Fi, perking up at the mention of gaming tables. "What kind of gaming are we talking about? I'll have you know I still have the local single-player high score in Veskarium RoboWars 262 at Gizleck's Gaming. That damn gnome never did put my picture up on the wall... Says I cheated, can you believe that? How is it cheating when the programmers ignored an issue that caused reproducible memory leaks?"
"Ooooh! Sweet!" Leila accepted the offered can. Free stuff was always nice. And maybe this would help bring Fi out of that shoot-stuff mood! Though she didn't want one ... Maybe it could at least fortify Leila for when someone decided to start shooting again! Yay! ... ? The halfling cracked open her beer and took a big glup.
"Jade Lotus? Hmm I don't think I've ever been there. And I don't think they have *those* games ..." The halfling took another long sip of her full-sized drink. It was really good! A few more mouthfuls and her nose would inevitably start shifting towards red. "Anyway! Let's go!"
Fi gives Astri a slightly bewildered look - can she not pick up on subtext? "Gaming in these places means gambling - usually mahjong - no-limit stakes and you pay cash now or lose arm, leg, internal organs..."
Some of the most unpleasant moments of her time in the Fellowship was dealing with the aftermath of Nikkura-san's 'conversations' with bankrupt gamblers. Dumping the bodies off her hoverbike at high speed wasn't the issue: it was just that, however many bags she wrapped them in, the corpses always managed to leak while she was carrying them...
Getting bloodstains out of a silk kimono is a real pain.
Astrianna raises a single, perfectly sculpted eyebrow at Fi. "Firstly, I know a lot of "real" gamers that would argue with you about that definition. Secondly, what kind of friends do you have that run no-limit gambling houses? I've been to some real dives in the Arms, but I never had any reason to go to the actually dangerous places. I've never been a mahjong fan anyway, more of a roulette person myself."
She glances at Prospero. "Do you think they'd let him play blackjack? Can you imagine how well he can count cards? We'd have to hide the circuits, nothing some makeup couldn't fix..."
It takes a few stop changes on the grav tube and then a somewhat lengthy walk to get to The Jade Lotus. The Docks are not very close to the Eye and, in any case, establishments such as these are not well served by being very easily accessible.
The neighborhood they pass through is seedy, but not overly so. The streets are narrow and crowded with vendors hawking all manner of knock off goods and pirated entertainments. Cheesy pop music blares out of a hundred speakers as the store keeps shout over each other and the pungent smell of fried street food hangs over everything, intermingling with the smoke from the hyperleaf cigarettes of a dozen smokers.
Fianh notes that some of the tattooed people aggressively loitering around the area are armed and are wearing at least some sort of splash of bright green about their person.
Inside the group gets only a cursory glance by the patrons as they make their way to the bar. Strangers and strangeness are a part of life on Absalom Station and a halfling, android, half-elf, and human, are barely worth the glance. Especially since one is Tian.
Fianh catches the eye of the bartender, a half orc woman with half of her face and one eye replaced with cybernetics, and nods. The bartender sighs and nods back before inclining her head to the stairs that lead up from the drinking area of the Jade Lotus and up to the second level that overlooks it.
There you find about fifteen tables placed close together on which serious sentients, quite a few Shirren, stare with concentration at the tiles in front of them as they make their moves. Armed sentients wearing green, most of them human, all from old Golarion, are much more obvious here and they give your group flat stares. A man sitting on some couches in a private booth at the back with a drink in his hand waves you over.
It is strange the memories that smell can bring back: wandering through the neighborhood is like going back in time. Her attention is almost entirely drawn to a vendor selling pisang goreng, but she restrains herself. Now is not the time. Maybe later.
On arriving at the upstairs of the Jade Lotus, Fianh gives the man a low, respectful, bow.
Switching back to the common tongue, she introduces Astrianna with a curt gesture. "My... friend here has some questions about the undesirables that inhabit this station. I was wondering if some of the honourable people here might have the knowledge she is seeking."
The man, chubby, greasy, and with a small mustache sitting on his upper lip that does nothing to improve the look of his pocked and moon shaped face nevertheless smiles and switches to Basic himself.
Of course, of course. It is a sad fact of life that even the most established and above board of businessmen must deal with the sad reality of undesirables is it not? I have had the displeasure of dealing with some of them myself as a matter of fact. the man sits back and let his gaze travel up and down Astrianna. Why would a beautiful woman such as yourself wish to know about them though I wonder.
Astrianna is fascinated by the sights and smells of the Tian neighborhood. It wasn't uncommon to find distillations of cultures on Absalom station- sometimes even as few as 100 sentients from some driftrock from 100,000 lightyears away could carve out their own little nation on the space station. This seemed so... genuine, though. Unabashed in its loudness, life vibrates in the crowded space, and she feels drawn to it.
The bar looked like any other dive to her, with the expcetion of all the armed thugs around. Given how relaxed Fi seemed she guessed there was nothing to worry about.
The exchange in a langauge Astrianna recognized as Tian but did not understand leaves her wondering what they spoke of, but not for long- she was too distracted by how sleezy the pocked-faced man looked. She definitely wasn't getting within arm's length of him.
On her introduction the half-elf smiles none-the-less, putting on a friendly face and adopting a professional tone. These types of people expect to be treated with great respect. "Astrianna Sparacello, Starfinder Society representative. If you've seen the news today, a dwarf
and follow colleague named Duravor Kreel was "accidently" killed in a shootout between The Level 21's and the Downside Kings. We believe the killing was no accident. The gang fight was simply a distraction for an assassination and we seek justice for his death by finding those responsible. We humbly ask for your assistance in providing the whereabouts, names, or other information on the leaders of the Level 21's or the Downside Kings so we can question them ourselves."
Realising the potential for offence that Astrianna has inadvertently caused, Fi steps in hastily. "My associate does not suggest, of course, that you personally would know such people - it is simply stated as fact that someone as well-informed as yourself would be able to tell her what she wishes to know."
She gives Astri an annoyed look, muttering at her furiously in Elven.
The man stays silent for a while before grinning widely showing off perfectly white and regular teeth. It's obvious he enjoys the discomfort his silence caused.
Of course I am well informed. It may be that I know of these distateful peoples. But ah, you are working for the Starfinders? They are an organization of many resources and I am, as I said a business man. I shall trade you what I know for, say, 400 credits?
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Leila sniffs the air to take in all the strange scents. She loved visiting the small ethnic enclaves scattered all about the station - it was just like visiting a whole new planet! Well she imagined at least ... She really hadn't been off world (except very briefly to pick up her teammates. Oh why couldn't they have taken a few days to look around?!).
The atmosphere of the bar seemed less welcoming, but no less exotic. If it hadn't been for all the armed people, their horrible contact and the fact that they were on a murder investigation this might have been really nice! Oh well! the halfling thought to herself and tried to follow the Tian conversation. Now, she only really knew a few select phrases, so that didn't go over too well. Luckily they switched to Basic soon enough. Then she could at least try and figure out what was up!
"Well they used to be at least ..." Leila mumbled softly. They didn't actually seem too resourceful at the moment, given that the rookies were handling this important mission!
"Well - I think we can haggle juuuust a bit!" The halfling utilized her diminutive size to whisper to her companions. Leila had seen enough trids to know that criminal masterminds like this was always open for other deals unless they used the term 'an offer you can't refuse'. Jup. Always.
The man's smile deepens as you agree to his terms. He shifts into his booth
Come in, sit, make yourselves comfortable. he says as he waves at an underling and four extra glasses appear. Where are my manners? I am Goro Sakai and you are now my honoured guests
He pours himself another shot of what looks like strong whiskey before exhaling loudly and beginning.
So, Level 21 Crew first. It is deep in the belly of the station but is much better organized than surrounding decks. That is because of the Crew. I am surprised your little blonde friend does not know of them. Goro nods at Leila The Level is called 'The Level of the Shorty Ones' aha. It is a bad joke, but it is accurate. Many of the smaller peoples, mostly ysoki, but also gnomes and halflings make it their home and are known throughout the station as skilled mechanists. They can carry out their trade in relative peace because the Crew makes sure of it.
Goro shifts and leans back to rest both his arms, thrown out wide, on the back of the booth couch with the shot glass hanging loosely from one hand. Of course they are also thieves, pimps, fencers, and smugglers, and charge for their protective operations. They even take part in Here Goro grins again showing off his pearly whites illegal gambing establishments. But. Their leader is a Ysoki named Jabaxa who can be trusted to hold his end of a bragain, and any who goes against them goes against their entire level for the prosperity they have allowed to flourish.
Goro swigs a shot down. The Downside Kings on the other hand, are filth. Their control is wider, several decks, but shallower, and built on, not loyalty but crude violence and threats. Their traffick in dangerous substances and are killers of hire of the crudest sort. and here Goro does seem to grimace Even speaking of them brings a bad taste to my mouth. They have no organization and their leadership changes are frequent as underlings kill their superiors to rule briefly. As of now their leader works out of a nightclub called The Fusion Queen and is a barborous woman named Ferani Nadaz.
Goro burps and places his shot glass down on the table I believe that is more than enough, yes? Now if there is nothing else? I highly recommend you buy a bottle of this fine spirit from the bartender downstairs on your way out. Four hundred credits for the bottle.
As you make to leave Goro taps Fianh on the hand, asking her to stay behind.
Astrianna gives Fi a flat look as she is chastized in Elven before defensively firing back:
The moment passes and Astrianna is back to looking at Goro as if nothing has happened, smiling.
The price offered doesn't really mean anything to her, it wasn't really her money anyway considering it had been lifted off of Kreel and some dead gangers. "How gracious of you, we accept."
She sits and graciously accepts the glass of wine poured for her, cradling the stem between her middle and ring finger. The half-elf swirls the wine, inhales its bouquet and takes a small sip with the practiced ease of a sommelier. The wine flows across every part of her tongue, held for only a second before swallowing. "Umeshu? The plum is very bold. Not my specialty, so I can't comment on the quality, but this certainly tastes excellent- thank you."
Astrianna crosses one leg over the other while listening to Goro speaks, sipping her wine delicately.
Level 21 is the right place to start. They owe us and they won't start shooting us up when we ask for Jabaxa. The Downside Kings might be the responsible party after all? She thinks, nodding along with Goro's exposition.
Knocking back the remaining wine as they are ushered out, Astrianna gives her best imitation of Fi's bow. "Absolutely, and thank you for your time." She glances back to see Fi being held up, and says "We'll wait for you downstairs."
The alcohol starts to swim around in her head- unbeknowest to the others Astrianna couldn't hold her booze worth a damn. Two beers and a glass of wine was enough to get her sauced up.
She saunters up to a barstool and waves down the half-orc bartender. "Want to buy... that bottle... Goro recommended it." Clumsily, Astrianna transfers 400 credits onto an Abadarcorp 'stick and slaps it down on the bartop after accepting the liquor. "Nice chrome by the way!" She nods and gestures to the woman's face with the bottle. "You ever think of being in a trid? Badass like you wouldnt need any chintzy makeup or props, you have raw intimidation on your side. Never have to even draw a gun, right? I know this guy on Castrovel..."
Astrianna, in her inebriated state, seemed to be spontaneously making friends with the bartender while Fi was busy, for no other reason than she was there.
Fi listens carefully to Goro Sakai, politely waving away the drink that is offered her. Instead, she commits the information to memory as she has been trained to do. Interesting - it appears that the Level 21 Crew are, in their own feeble way, attempting to replicate what the Fellowship has done: to create order where otherwise there would be none. This is good. Chaos is not good for stability, prosperity, or business.
She may owe Leila an apology.
As for the Downside Kings, she nods in agreement with Goro Sakai's assessment: filth - and their club is no doubt a wretched hive of scum and villainy. One part of the spiel stands out to her: Killers for hire of the crudest sort. It seems likely that they have found the identity of Kreel's assassins. The only question remaining is why. Oh well, no doubt this Ferani Nadaz can be persuaded to tell them.
Eventually.
She rises smoothly from the table as their business is concluded, and is about to bow in thanks when Sakai asks her to stay behind. She nods at the others - it's fine - and waits to hear what he has to say.
Hmm. The question puts her in a quandary. One thing that Nikki always insisted on was operational security - and since she was the one who was generally going into the line of fire, she was grateful for that. On the other hand, refusing to say anything gets her little goodwill.
"Very few can know the future for certain, most honourable Goro-san. And as you have said yourself, information is valuable. If I give you this now, perhaps you can repay it with a favour at another time."
Assuming he gives some sort of assent to this, she continues. "My companions are not civilised, so it is hard to predict what they will do. But I foresee the Downside Kings' leadership position opening up very soon. If you have invested in their nightclub, now would be a good time to... un-invest. Beyond that, who can say how the mahjong tiles will play out?"
She nods at the group as she returns to join them. "A profitable evening. And new information suggests that Level 21 Crew not so black as painted, so sorry." This last with a bow towards Leila.
Dropping the trivid Tian act, she smiles eagerly. "Now, who wants some pisang goreng? Deep-fried banana! If you haven't tried it, you haven't lived! I smelt a stall just back there..." It's also highly calorific, but Fi has a disciplined exercise regime and her waistline and hips can withstand the occasional binge.
She gives Astri a quizzical look as the half-elf appears to be chatting up the barmaid. She shrugs. There's no accounting for tastes. "Come on, you. Time to mop up all that booze."
Leila shifted a bit uncomfortably in her chair when their new "friend" mentioned her but otherwise sat quietly and listened attentively. While many of the things about her home turf wasn't new to her it was interesting to hear how outsiders regarded it. And quite nice to hear that they were well respected. Now that was an odd feeling - a bit warm and fuzzy about a local gang! Though it's not like we got any sport team or anything to root for ... she thought to herself and shrugged. Better focus on listening! And carefully sipping that free whiskey as her nose steadily turned redder.
---
"No black aren't their - oh wait - yeah no. As far as gangs go, they aren't bad. I don't think I've actually seen them shoot any anybody before... Maybe that explains why they are so bad at it!" Leila cheerfully replied to Fi once she showed up again. The spirits was doing wonders for her mood - and it helped that her new comrade didn't seem so murderous anymore!
"Fried banana sounds nice! Let's go! Oh and maybe we should head back and rest a bit then. I think Astri needs it; she has spent almost half the time talking to a lamp!" Well that was a liiiiitle bit of an hyperbole (though the bartender was a bit chromed up!). But Leila could feel herself being a bit fuzzy on her feet from the drinks already and on that point she could sense her kinship with the half-elf.
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"400 credits for a bottle of wine?" Prospero-4 wonders aloud, missing quite a lot of the unspoken context. "That sounds quite unreasonable. I checked online, and you could get the same quantity of liquid for one credit. And it would have 100% match of CH 3−CH 2−OH and SO2 and C12H22O11 and micro-organisms. I merely feel this item was very much overpriced, and so have to disagree with Fianh Jin of evening being profitable."
Then, putting aside the financial concerns, he focuses back on the mission. "But, we learned that Level 21 Crew are unlikely behind the assassination? By reputation, The Downside Kings are far more likely to commit such a deed? If the Crew would be friendlier toward us, should we not meet with Ysoki named Jabaxa, to hear their side of the shootout?"
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The half orc bartender breaks into a grin despite herself and nods at Astrianna and her friend Leila who both seem quite inebriated. Thank you for your patronage she says in a Tian accent, not ridiculously exaggerated like Fianh's sometimes is, but noticeable nevertheless as she smoothly makes the credstick disappear. Perhaps you will come again. Have drink on house.
With the mutually beneficial transaction made Fianh leads the group out of the bar.
From there it's Leila's turn. Despite growing up in the Spike Leila stayed out of the gang life and, thanks to the benevolent attitude of the gang that controls Level 21 towards its residents, the gang stayed out of hers in turn.
Still, it's impossible to not know how things work in the neighborhood. Your group walks to a grav tube that takes you the closest elevator stopping at Level 21.
Unlike the grav tubes and robo taxis that allow transportation elsewhere in the Station, the express elevators are free (of course there may be a charge to access or exit certain lower decks but that's a separate matter). A very mixed collection of sentients, from all walks of life, crowd onto the large grey box of an elevator that you catch. Most, certainly the more well heeled, get off on the trendy upper levels of the Spike.
Then, still in the single digits, most of the rest, obviously blue collar and wearing clothes of fashion somewhat similar to Leila's exit.
Most of the remainder are hard bitten and tough. They glance at Astrianna and her very pink pistol with open sneers. It seems that only the fact that you're all very well armed prevents any problems. They're armed themselves with pistols and clubs and they give you your distance while reacting... poorly... if you violate their space.
The elevator starts to skip floors as it rumbles and screeches its way downwards. The ones it does stop at to let beings on and off don't seem very pleasant at all from the limited view you get of them as the door grinds open and shut. Instead of the almost anti-septic smell that comes from the Rings or the artificially enhanced odor of the Eye, or the smell of cargo and machine oil of the Docks, some of the Levels you pass on your down outright stink, each one in its own distinctive way. Some smell like rotted food, others like... manure.. others still toxic sludge.
Leila is of course used to all this. Even if Level 21 is nothing like these other levels, the residents of the deck still have to travel through them to get to the Ring. They make sure to be well armed when they're in the elevators, and they travel together.
The condition of the decks seems to improve somewhat as you get closer to your destination. The last of the blue collar types in their down market clothes or work overalls nod at Leila while giving the rest of you curious glances. They're mostly the smaller species, ysoki predominantly, but humans too because, well, because humans are everywhere in Absalom Station.
Soon enough the elevator arrives at Level 21 and the door opens. Like every other part of the Spike there is no view of the outside. The group is surrounded by metal of various hues between brown and grey and even the occasional green of oxidized copper. Mostly the ceiling on this deck maxes out at 1.5 metrons and so may feel cramped and claustrophobic to taller folks. There are tunnels leading to smaller and larger machine shops with sentient beings working industriously away at one project or another as sparks fly and the sharp smell of worked metal comes off in waves. Occasionally the tunnels open up to large areas, some almost cavernous, and here is where bazaars and markets operate with foodstuffs from the upper levels being brought down while bargain hunters from above search for techy gears and gizmos free of the markups the shops on the Ring or the Eye charge. Here and there you see metal blue graffiti splashed across the walls and roof and some people garbed in blue, mostly ysoki and human, stare at the group as they pass before breaking eye contact with a nod at Leila.
Their destination on the level is Mama Fats. It's a small neighbourhood bodega and nothing sets the grocery store apart from any other really. Leila knows better though. The store is run by Mama Fats, a rotund halfling currently sitting at the counter colling herself with a small mechanical hand fan, and she... knows people.
Fi is short, by human standards - still taller than Leila; but short enough not to be discomforted by the cramped conditions. The journey in the lift, though... that is discomforting. It's too much like revisiting her own past.
From the thuggish, hard-bitten toughs whom she remembers - from hard won lessons - how to avoid (keep one hand near your gun; don't make eye contact; look like you're ready for trouble ), through to the smells of stink and poverty and desperation, it transports her back to her grandmother's hut. The old woman took her in after her parents died, and raised her with tales of the Oni, the devils who hunger but can be appeased, for the right price... Small wonder the appeal that held for an angry, lonely child, raised on nothing, owning nothing but grit and determination and pride, the sort of pride that would lead her to stab one of Nikkura-san's ashigaru rather than take money to lose the race...
With a start, she realises that the lift has stopped and the others are leaving. Shaking her head to clear it, she hurries off after them, arriving at the halfling's store a couple of seconds after they do.
Keeping a wary eye out for trouble, she lets the others take the lead.
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Leila spends most of the elevator ride down giving her companions cautions and worried glances. Usually her standard tactic was simply to melt away and be overlooked (sometimes literally) by the taller thugs. But ... That wouldn't work this time. Which was worrying - and sobering. Ah-uh-ah ... She couldn't help but step in place. But soon enough things started to smell like home. As the elevator arrives she announces and hurries out. "Oh! Here we are!" Turning back to her companions she looks a lot more at ease and smiles. "Come on! And *uh* watch your heads!"
The halfling leads the way trough the small-scale level stopping only briefly to make sure the tall folks are keeping up. Going trough unfamiliar places could be daunting - especially when light armatures and similar fixtures wasn't installed with tall folks in mind. But soon enough they arrive at the nondescript store and Leila stops. "Okay!" A little bit of the elevator nervosity comes seeping back. She gives each and every one a quick look. "Just remember to be respectful and nice! Yeah?"
Astrianna waves goodbye to her new friend as they leave the bar. "Such a scary face, but I think she's actually a sweetie!" The half-elf expounds to the group, before laughing melodically and slapping Prospero on the shoulder. "I like you. You gotta stay around, for the laughs. You're staying, right? Don't go anywhere."
The walk doesn't do much to sober her up, and by the elevator ride she's leaned up against the back of the corragated steel wall, frantically typing away at something on her comm unit's holopad. "Gods, I'm a marketing genius..." She mumbles to herself, seemingly absorbed in updating a multitude of social media profiles to include teaser pictures and clips for her next video, including the shootout at the landing bay. The rough residents of the spire go unnoticed by her; whatever world she's in doesn't include them.
As her companions start to move forward she looks up and hurries after, nearly tripping over her other foot. "Shelyn's t~$+! Elevator must be maintained by a Xorn or something. It's completely dislevel!"
Following along, she remembers to put her Lifecorder system back on, settling the tiara on her head and activiating the forcefield that not only keeps it firmly in place, but provides additional video stabilization. "Wow, this place is kind of cramped?" She comments with a sense of wonder, as if no one has ever noticed this particular fact before. "I guess it's not a problem for the little peoples. In fact, it damn near seems made for them! That must be nice."
Leila's warning causes Astrianna to bark a laugh. "Respectful? That's negotiations 101! Find common ground, compromise, but make sure it's in your favor because you did all the work! This Jabaxa will give us a great deal, I promise."
She stands in front of the grocery store with her hands on her hips, looking up at the sign. "Yes! Gifts for the Level 21's! This is a perfect idea, Leila. Perhaps a cheese and fruit basket?"
Astrianna is quite loud, and Mama Fats hears her easily from inside.
Oi, half elf she calls out Yeah you with the big damn mouth, get inside here and quiet the heck down. Mama Fats does not appreciate her business being shouted out to the entire Station. Pharasma preserve us your voice right then probably put a crack in the damn Starstone.