Scant minutes pass before Grillz reappears through the door, moving deftly through the crush of clubbers to where Paeon stands waiting;
"Boss is interested. Seems you caught her in her yearly good mood..."
He eyes the assembled group around the Lashunta;
"These your friends? Doorboyz mentioned 'em... Which one's the ace vid-gamer?"
The ganger leers his plated smile as he scans your group for the would-be-starlet...
Retsiji growls, "She left after the docks. How'd you know about her?"
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Toro matches the ganger's leering grin, executing a neat pirrouette , ending with her hands outstreched, "Ta-da! It's me"
She then mock punches Retsjii on the arm, looking at the ganger with a pitying look, "He's here more for his muscle than his brains"
Then with another bright smile, "Let's go then!" her shoulders rising and falling with the beat of the music.
Grill eyes the big vesk with a quizzical look;
"You lot told the doorboyz. Boss asked 'em bout youz. Doorboyz give us the skinny... Am I movin' to fast for you Vesky?"
At Koro's interjection he rolls his eyes, with a metallic grin;
"Huh. Tell me 'bout it. We got one o' them too..."
Grillz chuckles, then nervously glances over his shoulder.
"Right. Follow me..."
The ganger leads you to the door marked STAFF ONLY and places palm to ID scan-plate. The door hums in recognition, and its locking mechanism grinds open triggering the hand print to turn green.
Grillz pushes the door open and bids you enter...
This large storeroom is filled with supplies for the bar outside, including bottles of hard alcohol, kegs of beer, and boxes of food and recreational stimulants. One corner holds amplifiers, musical instruments, and costumes for the club’s entertainers. A single heavy security door stands in the north wall.
Seated at a table strewn with hard cred chips and half drunk beers are two Kings gangers, holocards flickering as you interrupt their game of cards. A third King stands nearer the northern door, twirling his pseudo-scepter club menacingly.
Ed isn't exactly sure what is going on, but follows along, happy to let the faces do the talking.
Kris follows the other inside taking a moment to study the bottles of liquor for the bar. "Hey that one wasn't outside, must be some really special guest." Kris calls out as she moves forward and lightly traces the ribbon decoration on the 50yr old bottle of scotch from Verces scorch zone. "It's smooth but it'll kick you in the teeth when you try to stand back up."
The gangers eye you with hard stares as one by one you filter into the stock room.
When Kris chips in about the merits of the Scotch, the two seated punks look at each other with a roll of studded brows. The first one grins;
"Yup. Bottle looks the part... but we cut whisky with ratter moonshine. Makes it spikey! Trix of the trade girly. Heheh."
The second continues to eye your group quizzically;
" Grillz sayz you an ace gamer... tophigh roller and her sec. You all liquor experts?"
The ganger near the security door nods to you all as you enter, then clangs the metal portal with his club;
"Guestz iz here... Send 'em thru or you comin' to them?"
No answer comes, save the clang of a security bar being raised, and the door groans open...
From the room beyond steps a massive scarred Vesk, equally as large as Retsiji.
The brute sneers, casting a baleful gaze towards the seated gangers;
"Why you lot no give our guestsss sssome drinksss? They buying bulk. Treat em good or Ferani ssskin you like othersss... leave meat for me!"
At his rumbling command the two gangers frantically scrabble to their feet fishing for bottles and canz to present.
The Vesk turns to you all sizing you up, his beady eyes lingering on Retsiji as he jabs a clawed thumb towards his own armoured chest;
"Vrokilayo. Earned name Hatchbussster. Who I ssspeak to? Who comesss knockin' on the Downssside Kingsss?"
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"Vrokilayo. Earned name Hatchbussster. Who I ssspeak to? Who comesss knockin' on the Downssside Kingsss?"
Ed's antennae perk up. Hatchbuster. I like that. What's an earned name? Is that a Vesk thing? Do you have one, Retsiji?
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The vesk pauses before shaking his head once, sharply. The tip of his tail twitches back and forth in short arcs. "Retsiji. Talk to the pinkskin."
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Grillz sayz you an ace gamer... tophigh roller and her sec. You all liquor experts?
High rollerz get to drink good liquor, not the rot gut moonshine you feed the junkies hun. Now where is the good stuff."
Taking the proffered drink when Hatchbuster comes on the scene "Kristine here, sometime administrator, sometime handler, sometime slave driver for one Koro Tass, this fine specimen here is our security detail leader. Paeon" Kris says, as she lightly draws a hand across Paeon's shoulders and down one arm while she circles him with a feral glint in her eye.
The card sharks set their gaming table with so cheap metal tumblers and a couple decent vintage bottles of Nightarch Shadowine.
With fearful glances towards the metal door, they both beckon the group to partake...
In the meantime Vrokilayo eyes your group impassively as he mulls your words;
"Earned namesss are just that little bug. Earned. Ssseemsss Retsiji hasss yet to bring glory to hisss own name."
The thuggish vesk emits a rumbling chuckle, then turns his attention to business at hand;
"Ssso Grillz tellsss usss you ssseek the Kingsss for product yesss? How much???"
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"Earned namesss are just that little bug. Earned. Ssseemsss Retsiji hasss yet to bring glory to hisss own name."
Ah, thank you. That must be why Retsi doesn't want to talk about it. He doesn't have one. I don't know that I've done a noteworthy feat either. I did eat a Ysoki mouse bar recently. I could be Ed Mouseeater. But I bet someone has to give you an earned name, huh?
Noah 2.0 accepts a drink and sips at it inexpertly. He still looks quite out of place and finds himself occasionally reaching for a long arm confiscated at the door.
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Koro steps into the relative silence of the back room and looks about with distinct aloofness...not at all impressed.
She lets the big ganger chat with Ed and Retsiji, until Kris introduces her.
She pretends to curtsy delicately, then she focuses on Hatchbuster and smiles "Hatchbuster....must be quite a story there. Maybe later." she says hopefully, then continues "Yeah , we want some product, but we'll only talk numbers with the brains of this outfit. No offense, but you're obviously the brawn." she finishes, looking the large vesk up and down with obvious interest.
Vrokilayo nods at Ed slowly;
"Mousebar Eater isss good name. You earned name little Ed bug..."
The brute rumbles a laugh, then stares at Koro as she sizes him up;
"Very good ssstory. I am brawn. Ferani is bosss. Ssshe brainsss. Your brainsss can talk busssinesss. Ressst ssstay. Drink. Relax. We treat you like Kingssss..."
The vesk rumbles a laugh again, then stops with a tooth'ed smile;
"Who your brainsss?"
Noah 2.0 pales at the thought of being named.
Kris looks back and forth between Koro and Paeon, not sure which one wanted to tackle the speech making with Ferani.
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Retsiji glances back at the technomancer.
Ed tilts his head inquisitively as his mates keep sharing glances. Do we have any Brains? he asks his companions in a closed channel. Then making a snap decision, he points to Koro and Paeon with two of his four arms. Those two are the real bosses, he announces to everyone.
"Too true, what do you think?"
Paeon looks down at Kris and smiles as she playfully dances around him. He took his time measuring up the Vesk before chiming in to his comrades,
{I think that will suffice for the show team.}
Paeon opens his communication with the Hatchbuster allowing others to listen,
{Well introduced Hatchbuster .. I suppose if my old friends... or perhaps more accurately, my old enemies had an earned name for me it might be Willbreaker}
Paeon beams a perfect smile in the Vesk's direction, his solar mote pulsing its usual stellar energy as he does so.
{I think we are ready to talk to your brains as well. Koro, Noah and I will go talk. Ed keep an eye on the rest here will ya?}
Paeon glances to the rest of the scene around the room and links with his crew only,
{Might be we end up in a fight here. Be ready to jump.}
Relieved that he does not have to go alone Noah 2.0 stands up indicating that he is ready.
Vrokilayo eyes narrow at Paeon's words, then he nods slowly;
"Mousssebar Eater ssseems an honessst bug... You 3 go talk product with Ferani. I stay an drink with my new friend here..."
The vest-brute claps Ed on his shoulder with a jagged smile, then chuckles as he nods toward Retsiji;
"Maybe we earn that one a name eh Mousssebar Eater?"
The ganger by the security door clangs his bat off the metal once again;
"Three comin' in Boss..."
The internal security of the door disengages with a clang once again, as the ganger pushes it ajar with a leer;
"She's waitin'. Good luck... heheh."
Noah 2.0 stands and walks into the other room.
Paeon glances back at his team before leading the way through the threshold.
Ed "MousebarEater" bows to Vrokilayo and gives a pleased chirp. I guess I earned a name. Eh, Retsi? The slightly smug bug has a seat to wait with his Vesk buddies.
"Take care of Koro, Paeon" Kris says as they head into the other room.
"Ed, be careful sometimes the earned name is earned for the wrong reasons, knew a tech onetime who 'earned' the name "Smudge", was hanging out in the club intently watching one of the dancers, well she didn't want him to miss anything so took his specs and cleaned them off against her well ... ample bosom, when they returned to his face he couldn't see anything through the oil sheen." With a tilted toast towards Hatchbuster Kris takes a sip from her drink.
Koro links her arms with Paeon and Noah and adopts a light, skipping gait as they pass through the door.
Over her shoulder, she calls gailly, "Ta-ta for now!"
Once the door closes behind her however, her mien transforms, her face growing serious...calculating as she survey's the next room for the 'brains' they're to negotiate with.
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MousebarEater continues staring at Kris. His antennae twitch as if in though. Finally, he tilts his head, I don't understand.
As you enter the back office your eyes focus on the individual sitting at a desk at the far end of the room:
Lean and scarred, the human woman allows a sneering smile to play across her tattooed features as she rises to greet you:
She measures you three with a hard stare as she idly taps a crude club fashioned, in part, from the arm of a N-Force-R security bot.
”So… You know who I am. I know why you say you come here… Product for credit yes? But I wonder… How is it you come to us? To the Kings? To me Ferani…”
Her clipped question is emphasised by the clang of the security door closing behind you…
As Koro, Paeon and Noah enter the other room, the ganger guarding the door closes it behind them;
”Hope your friendz mind their manners…”
Vrokilayo rumbles a laugh at Kris’ story and bids you all indulge in drink.
He nudges Kris and nods towards Retsij;
”That one needsss to ssshed hisss ssscalesss eh? Remindsss me too much of why I left the Vessskarium!”
The punkers cracking open the drinks laugh nervously along with the big Vesk.
One of them passes Ed a cup of liquor with a hard smile;
”Hey Mr Mousebar Eater… Wanna hear a joke? Course ya do! You bugs love jokes… So there’s two Shirren sitting in a plasma sauna. One gets up to leave… Other says Why you leave friend - was it something I said?. First shirren shakes his antenna Not at all. Just too damn swarm for me! Swarm! Swarm! Get-it!?”
The punker breaks into hysterics at his own joke, roughly clapping Ed on the shoulder.
Retsiji gives a slow smile at the punk, letting his teeth show, before turning back to Hatchbuster. "You earn your name here on station?"
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Noah 2.0 does not like the look of this one at all. He sends in hear panic through the telepathic link that he hopes is still working <<I can't lie to this one! She will sense it right off. Time to fight I think.>> And he takes a step towards the desk.
As Noah begins to step forward, Koro puts a hand on his arm to hold him back, <<Relax, Noah...>> she sends to him.
"Ferani" Koro says, inclining her head to the woman, "I'm Koro, the good-looking one is Paeon and the nervous one is Noah." she says, indicating each of the with her hand.
With a glance at the two security doors, she offers respectfully, "You're not an easy woman to have a chat with...."
At Retsiji's question Vrokilayo flashes his own toothy grin;
"I did earn it here on the ssstation... Wasss a fence know to usss... Worked with usss. Undercut the Kingsss... Ssstole from usss."
The big vesk's tongue flicks as relishes recounting the tale, and his punker cohorts chuckle theatrically;
"Ran. Tried to hide... but we Kingsss are rightly feared. Tonguesss wag and we find thisss ungrateful wretch hiding in maintenance airlock. He fusssed it ssshut, thought he wasss sssafe..."
The brute continues his animated story, hissing more intently as he goes;
Ssscum got mouthy to usss... to Ferani. I sssnap tearing at hatch with all my ssstrength... I lost in rage underssstand? Metal bucklesss... sssealsss pop. I drag out the little ssscummer and give to Ferani.... That how I earn name Hatchbussster..."
He grins proudly as the other Kings murmur approvingly.
Paeon glances over to the nervous Noah briefly and lets out an internal sigh.. Children...
{No point in skirting the issue, you're not a fool and neither are we. We come here seeking answers about our former employer. Duravor Kreel. Your krew was responsible for his death.}
Paeon scans the room taking in his surroundings, years of military training burned into his memory.
The pistol sitting on the desk takes flight and Paeon grabs it out of mid air. He looks it over with a critical eye.
{He was hit by a weapon quite similar to this actually.}
At Koro’s words the hard look upon Ferani’s scarred face appears to mellow for a second, but Paeon’s words and actions dispel that from her face.
The Queen of the Downside Kings smiles cruelly as she takes in the situation;
”You think me disarmed Lasher? This is my place. You’ve already met my weapons… Fusion Queen is full of them…”
She sneers at the accusation;
”As for this Dura-who… I don’t know your dead friend and if my boys ended him he had it coming."
Ferani hefts on her macabre robo-limb bludgeon making the “hand” point towards the three of you in turn, ending at Noah.
”Now… Give me all your credz and the nervous Andy as restitution for this affront and I’ll let you live…”
You read that she is clearly lying about Duravor and likely the circumstances surrounding his death...
he needs to shed his scales
"heheh, yeah he's wound a bit tight, but in this business you must learn to relax or it'll drive you crazy."
Kris laughs as Ed enjoy's the joke at his expense "Yeah I get it, one of these days you will to." she finishes with a wink and a smile.
Looking around as Hatchbuster tells his story, Kris surveys the room for anything places to take cover should the inevitable break loose. taking note of the lighting in the room
he's a rager, good to know"Good story, know any good ones about these three you care to share?"
Paeon eyes the Queen suspiciously.
To his companions,
{What do you two make of this?}
His concentration remains focused on the Queen.