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Huh. Interesting...After snickering a bit at Blacklock's misfortune in spilling his drink, she looks back at her group.
"The name Astral Extractions just keeps popping up here, huh? Maybe they know more?" She glances at the vesk and kasathan. "I'll go ask them about it!"
Kasha grabs walks up to the vesk and kasathan, drink in hand and smiles widely. "Isn't this whole situation pretty interesting? I mean, I don't know too much other than what's on the news. You two know anything more about this?"
Blacklock overhears the Vesk and the Kasathan speaking of the matter before Kasha approaches them with open body language as well as a welcoming persona. The vesk forgets his personal grievances in life long enough to enjoy the new attention and quips, ”Yeah, you’re never gonna beat a big stakes corporation like Astral Extractions anyway. The sheer amount of money obscures the truth every time. A collective like the Hardscrabble doesn’t stand a chance against such a titan of industry.”
The kasathan appears indifferent to the young woman’s inquiry and quietly sips his cocktail. Both are obvious spacers, likely freelance crew members for hire.
”I worked for Astral a while back,” the vesk continues,”cheated me outta wages; nuttin I could do bout it.”
Breaker takes a seat off to the side, leaving others to ask questions of the Vesk and the Kasatha. Like Boris, he does some digging, although his goal is to find news mentions of other people the Downside Kings may have killed, and if they were also outspoken critics of Astral Extractions or engaged in legal battles with them at the time of their deaths.
The vesk seems to ponder a second trying to recall if he could remember anything about street gangs and came up short responding, ”I cannot recall gangs ever being involved in situations involving the company, but there is one strange event that I do recall. During my pay dispute with Astral, I was approached by a shirren and told to go to Mama Fats’ bodega on Level 21 and speak to her. Heh, why would I go to a quick market to resolve a pay dispute. There must be some strange drugs going around the Spike, gettin crazies to suggest things like that, heh.” The vesk likes to talk, clearly, but fails to mention his name.
Both Boris and Breaker discover the same content within the infospheres. The “Drift Rock” as it is called, is currently anchored to the Acreon freighter, off-station. No one has seen or heard from the crew, so facts are nearly nonexistent, speculation is rampant that the rock contains some sort of valuable metals and possibly some sort of alien threat.
The recent trouble between L21and the Downside Kings at bay 94 pops up on a news feed, but any other mention of them with exception of a very old police report listing them both as Two of many existing Spike gangs, does not appear.
"I concur. This is a promising lead - perhaps we should speak to this Shirren. I have found no other evidence of Astral Extractions hiring the Kings to do their dirty work, unfortunately."
The new recruits finish up their refreshments courtesy of Blacklock feeling somewhat relaxed but eager to find what led to the death of Kreel. They make the journey from the Moon Phase to the central tube system that transports visitors throughout the Spike. Most lifts being designed for cargo.
The enormous hydraulic platform stops on Level 21 and opens to a plaza surrounded by shops and hovels. This part of the station has seen better days , but is not as impoverished as expected. Trinket salesman, hustlers, and purveyors of pleasure are reading and waiting to approach anyone throughout the crowded plaza who looks like they could spare some credits.
A flickering neon sign advertising ‘Club 21 Casino’ dwarfs the small graffiti-laden bodega nestled among shops and small office fronts featuring a white sign with fancy hand-painted lettering that reads, ‘Mama Fats’ Market.’ The contrast of the sign colors help you locate it in an otherwise secluded area. The segmented garage-style security door is partly down from its rack, but up just enough to clear the tallest customer. There is a small and peculiar woman behind the counter, but you cannot make out any details beyond that from this distance.
Alpha-83 sighed. He'd left the Spike for a different life - and yet, here he was, back in the Spike, barely a few months after he'd left. The good news was that he doubted he'd run into any Red Dwarfs here - unless they decided to try and expand into the Level 21 Crew's turf.
"We can make that attempt, although if the Hardscrabble Collective is entirely Dwarven, some of us may not fit the description. Perhaps myself, Xond, and Kasha should remain outside - able to assist if needed, but not obviously with you."
The disheveled and overweight halfling woman looks Blacklock and 'Kreel' up and down with a raised eyebrow responding sarcastically, "You don't say."
She looks at Bristol again and pauses before turning back to Blacklock and adding, "What sort of problems are ya havin'?"
After their answer, she will ask which company or organization you are with.
"Hmm. What outfit did you say that you are with?" she responds gruffly.
Skeptical, but uncertain about the veracity of the claim, the halfling women says, "Ok. Come back in an hour and we'll meet in the store room."
Breaker shrugs. "I have a great deal of difficulty reading people or understanding their emotions. Perhaps she was surprised. Hopefully, this meeting does not turn out to be a trap. We will be in position if it is, yes?"
Upon arrival back at the bodega, the haggard halfling, Mama Fats herself, signals to two rough-looking men indicating that you are the group who visited earlier. Then, she asks you to follow them into the back storage room.
"Are you armed? the big one inquires.
The large goon looks at you in disgust and remarks to his cohort, ”Keep your pistol on them.”
Then turns to you and points to the storage room. ”This way, Jabaxa is waiting for you.”
Upon entering the storeroom, you spot a well-armed male yoking, white fur tufts poking out around his freebooter armor. You catch yourselves staring at his red cybernetic eye. He is seated and drinking a clear liquid from a glass bottle at a card table. Two more goons stand in each corner. They possess scarlet articles of clothing matching the L21 gang members that you saw in docking bay 94.
The ysoki speaks, ”I am Jabaxa, why have you come here?”
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When they ask if we're armed:
"It's a bad neighborhood. We'd be damn'd fools if we weren't."
"We wanna know why you guys were shooting it out with another gang in a crowded space dock. We're thinking you're involved in something deep, maybe deeper than you all can handle. We're getting close to figuring out what you're up, but maybe you can save us some time and just tell us."
The guards lighten up a bit after Boris’ retort regarding the rough neighborhood as it makes some sense to them.
After Blacklock replies, Jabaxa seems to warm up and appears open to discuss the matter. The ysoki gangster replies, ”I’m certain it was the Downside Kings who murdered your friend. They have been trying to put the screws to Hardscrabble for some time now. We was there to intervene in the disruption. We try to protect th’ interests of da people.” He chuckles a bit.
The ysoki is caught off-guard by Boris’ inquisitions. He turns to the red dwarf and winces in disgust and annoyance. He speaks directly to Boris, ” Do I know you from somewhere? I seem to recall comin up short a few men after the bay 94 incident. You law or somethin?”
One of the goons is staring hard at Kasha, but not just because of her beauty. He appears perplexed, trying to remember how he knows the woman.
Jabaxa turns back to Blacklock and speaks, ” I suggest that you take the matter up with the Kings themselves. You could catch em unawares at the Fusion Queen nightclub down on Level 13. It’s a front fer most of their business.”
He then adds in ysoki, ” Krep chukka chit *pop* botcha tu ehk toun.”
Alpha-83 considers Jabaxa's words. "We are unconcerned with your activities overall. However, I am curious how it is you came to be there to intervene. Do you routinely monitor the Downside Kings, or were you tipped off by someone?"
Looking at Blacklock, who he believes, right or wrong, to be the leader of the group, Jabaxa lays it out there, ” Look, I don’t know ya, but supposing you ain’t who you say, I believe that Astral has hired the Downside Kings to make trouble for Hardscrabble, an’ Hardscrabble is one of our benefactors. You’re best bet is to get the answers from the Kings yourself. Their leader is a human woman named Ferani Nadaz. Low-key mechanic is the front that she uses to keep a low profile, but Hatchbuster, he’s a different story. Nothin low-key bout him, very dangerous side kick to Ferani. Sadly, that flamboyant Vesk has taken many L21 lives. If you happen to accidentally eliminate him and bring the proof to me, there is some extra creds in it for ya. Deal?”
Jabaxa motions for one of his goons to bring you some glasses so that you may drink with him. He bids you good luck and tells you to stop by Mama Fats when you have proof of Hatchbuster’s demise.
As they exit the bodega, Alpha-83 says, ”That got us some answers. Shall we confront the Downsiders at the night club?”
Chiskisk pops up on Breaker's comm. "What is it? Are you ok?" the host shirren inquires.
"We have discovered that the dispute between Astral Excavations and a mining group called the Hardscrabble Collective, which Duravor funded, is involved. It appears Astral may have hired the Downside Kings to 'put the squeeze' on the Hardscrabble, which may have included either hiring them to kill Duravor, or they interpreted as including to kill Duravor. Either way, we have found out they frequent the Fusion Queen night club on Level 13. We are going there now to further question them."
Chiskisk responds over the community unit, "Be careful! Not only am I worried about your safety, I am also concerned about keeping this operation quiet from the ears of the Stewards. They are seeking to destroy the entire craft along with the Drift Rock as they have deemed it too dangerous to the lives on Absalom, since it is in close proximity within our orbit. They may be looking for the same information that you are. I am running short on personnel. I will be sending over a Society newcomer to assist you. I do not want to involve station security. We are intensely interested in discovering the properties of that rock as well as containing any dangers that it may pose. Get a confession on Duravor's murder if you can. Good luck! "
The group of five has somehow become a trio with the disappearance of Xond and Kasha.
You notice a figure in a dark hood standing across the Plaza and behind a storage tank to the side of a small garage. It appears to be keeping you under surveillance.
"Affirmative. We will do so and meet the newcomer." Alpha-83 ends the communication, and, as he stows his comm, notices a figure in a dark hood that appeared to be watching them. Turning to Blacklock and Boris, he says in a low voice "We appear to have someone tailing us. Should we attempt to lose them?"