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A little Ysoki walks into the room and raises an eyebrow once he sees the massive, armored human in the room. But a broad smile soon forms on his face as he extends a handshake to Ash and says, "Hello!! My name is Arratoi! I'm a writer and I find inspiration working various missions for the Starfinders and travelling the stars. Someday, I'll write the quintessential space novel that will be read across the entire galaxy!!"
Without take a breath to pause, he continues,"Now I know that some may struggle to pronounce my name, but that's okay. It's pronounced ARA-TOI. But honestly, if you cannot say it, just call me 'A Rat'! I know you were thinking it! Now you can say it without fear of causing me any offense!"
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A ysoki with pristine white fur and comfortable dark green clothing scurries off the elevator and pushes open the door to the room where they are to gather. The tips of her ears reach a full four feet, which is on the tall side for yoski, and she carries a well-maintained laser rifle strapped to her back.
Her dark eyes twinkle in amusement as she hears the tail end of Arratoi's introduction. "Pleased to meet you, Mr. ARAToi," she greets him in Ysoki as she steps forward to shake his hand. She switches to Common when she turns to the soldier and holds up her hand in greeting. "And you as well, dear. My name is Cora. I'm sure we'll all get along splendidly." Cora's ears twitch forward as she curiously examines the flames around Ash's fancy-looking armor. Her gaze darts back toward the door to see who else will be joining them.
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A slight Lashunta with red eyes and impeccable manners arrives as well. She has short dark hair which falls just over her ears and her antenna are thicker than most Lashunta you may have seen.
She nods at the Starfinders who have come in before her. Mr. ARA-TOI, Ash, Cora, my name is Domaya and it is wonderful to make your acquaintance. May we find success together
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A tall and slender android with definite female features enters the room. Most of her head is bald and shows the circuit lines common among androids, but she also has a crest of slightly luminous lavender hair that runs the length of her skull from forehead to the base of her neck; this hair is long and straight and hangs to one side.
She wears a slate-grey civilian work suit with many pockets, and small tools protrude from most of them. A small computer is strapped to her left forearm and she wears white latex gloves and black combat boots. She carries a large duffel bag.
She looks around the room and nods to each individual.
"Domaya."
"Cora."
"Ash."
"Arratoi."
"Greetings to you all. I am Argon-42."
She sits down in one of the chairs, back upright, with her expressionless face straight ahead and her hands on her knees.
After a moment, she frowns. Then she looks over at one of the Ysoki.
"Arratoi, pronounced ARA-TOI. But you said we could just call you 'a rat.' Arratoi as in 'a rat - oi.' Alternately 'a rat 01.' The number one rat."
She turns and faces forward again, staring blankly at the wall.
"Clever."
Finally, a stocky bald dwarf enters the room wearing graphite carbon skin ablaze with the holy symbol of Angradd, the Forge-Fire. He scans the room and nods,
"This will do, I look forward to many glorious battles to come, I am Hedd Lonegaze of Clan Klug, emissary of the Ironstar, one of the dwarven sky citadels currently on the Quest for Sky. I have been sent to join the Wayfinders faction as it seems likely can aid each other in finding the promised land for my kind."
He smiles widely, "And kill some orcs and goblins in the meantime."
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Once the last member of the group arrives, everyone is ushered into the office. As you enter the room you see a Damaya standing at his desk. The no-nonsense venture-captain quickly gets to the business at hand. The tall and confident lashunta man gestures to several functional chairs, inviting you to sit. “Thank you for arriving so quickly. As my assistant mentioned, we have an urgent opportunity to recover some critical information.”
He grabs a datapad and checks his notes. “Several months ago, a crew of Starfinders took a ship called the Unbounded Wayfarer into the Vast to explore a series of uncharted planets. They never returned. Earlier today, a vesk pawnbroker in the Downlow neighborhood contacted us, offering to sell us several Starfinder insignias. These insignias belonged to the lost crew of the Unbounded Wayfarer, and that immediately caught the Society’s attention. The pawnbroker—named Julzakama—doesn’t realize the true value of the insignias. We negotiated a purchase price in exchange for the insignias and information about the seller. We hope this seller can lead us to the Unbounded Wayfarer and its crew.”
He sets down the pad and looks at each of you in turn. “We’ve remotely transferred the requested credits to Julzakama. Now, we need you to collect the insignias and all the information you can from the Vesk regarding whoever sold him the insignias, and then track down that seller. Learn where to find the Unbounded Wayfarer and its crew. I’m worried that the seller might not be on the station for long, so act quickly. If you have any questions, please make them fast.”
Hedd also sits quietly nodding as his compatriots ask question but offering nothing additional.
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The Lashunta stands up from his desk and paces as he answers your questions. He seems like he has a lot on his plate. " Julzakama? He runs a pawnshop called Julzakama’s Loans and is an unusually arrogant vesk." He stops for a moment and looks to ensure there are no Vesk present. "No offense. Ummm... I don’t know him, but I get the impression that I wouldn’t like him much if I did. Here, hand me a datapad." He types an address into your computer as he answers the next question. ”My secretary will send you the particulars about the crew members and their ship.”
"Their destination? Unfortunately that is hard to say. They were sent out before the Scoured Stars incident and had a several month voyage ahead of them. Out of the dozens of planets on their list, it is impossible to know which one they were stopped at. I will send you the list, however.”
He stops and checks his datapad for a moment. "Did any of you pass the Commencement? Compare the insignias to your implant to ensure their authenticity. As for payment, we already wired him his money for the insignias. Now, I must get back to work.”
His assistant ushers you out of the room and on to the street. The datapad says the fastest way to the shop is via public transit. As you board the shuttle, you have time to introduce yourselves during the hour long journey to the Downlow.
Hedd looks around, "I do not have any further questions, I think we should proceed to Julzakama, the longer we wait the more likely the seller is to be in the wind.'
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The shuttle hits a large bump. Outside the windows can be seen a block in the midst of a gang fight. The bump appears to have been a member of the Downside Kings, a local gang. A voice comes over the intercom. "20 minutes to Level 18." Those who are in charge of directions recognize this as the stop for Julzakama’s Loans.
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I suggest we scout out his shop a bit, see if there are any back exits aside from the front door. If yes, then we post someone at each exit so we know if he tries to pull a fast one and slip away. Damoya and I can approach him and do the actual talking. Damoya can be good space cop and I'll take over if we need bad space cop. What do you guys think?
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'Good cop', as you say sounds like it fits my personality better Domaya agrees with Arratoi. I am ready to being. I do hope there won't be any trouble. It seems to me that the pawn shop owner might be close mouthed as to how he got the insignias. Perhaps spending some credits might work if Arratoi and I are not able to gain what we need via conversation?
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Cora nestles into a comfortable sitting position on the shuttle while they discuss their plans. "Domaya, if you're willing to take the lead on the conversation it'll make sense. Just... be careful not too seem to eager at first. The Venture-Captain told us that Julzakama doesn't know how important the insignias are, and info about the seller was already in the negotiation, so he might be willing to just tell us who brought them." She makes a face. "Well, we can hope. It's no fun having to threaten people, even if that's what a vesk understands best. Extra credits might also work, but I don't have a lot to throw around." She sniffs slightly in nervousness at the thought that she might have to give away all her money for a bribe.
She looks down at her hands and asks, "Does anyone have one of those commencement implant thingies? He said that we could compare it to the insignias to check if they're real. I didn't get to go through the whole ceremony - they seemed eager to get me to volunteer for this mission right away."
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I've got the Starfinder implant as well, check it out!
Arrattoi drops into a martial arts stance, making high pitched 'waaaah' noises with arm outstretched and palm up - and then his implant lights up in the middle of his palm. With a blank look on his face, he says, "I know kung fu!"
His expression then relaxes into a wide grin. Arrattoi obviously does NOT know kung fu.
"I also do not have the implant, as for how to approach the store, shows of strength are always the appropriate course of action when vesk are concerned, so I think we should storm in and demand what we are owed."
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Arratoi and Domaya speak with the other passengers on the shuttle. After learning about a Ysoki grandmother's twenty-two grandchildren, they learn that Julzakama is a domineering brute and that only the truly desperate deal with him. Further, he responds better to bluster than to honeyed words.
The voice comes over the intercom once again. "Level 18, only stop on this level."
Stepping out of the shuttle doors, the group is awash in the sights and smells of the Downlow. Following the directions on the datapad, getting to the shop is pretty easy. Although some areas of Downlow are clean and trendy, this level is dirty and dank.
Upon arrival at the shop, you see a narrow alley of concrete and metal buildings which drip with oil and sparking wires. A wide, red neon electric sign reads “Julzakama’s Loans” on a building sandwiched between a Kuthite sensation house and a derelict building covered with graffiti. The shop’s solid metal door contains a single, small window too grimy to peer through.
The door is locked. However, you can see a light through the window. Someone must be inside. You notice a large black buzzer on the right side of the door.
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Argon-42 keeps her hand on her pistol as she looks around the area. She examines the abandoned building next door, wondering if this Julzakama might also own it and use it as a storehouse or hideout or... something. She tries to get a look in through one of the windows.
She shrugs and goes over to Julzakama's door. She tries it, and when she finds that it is locked, she presses the buzzer next to the door.
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Argon peers into the warehouse window, but sees nothing of interest.
The buzzer rings once, then a second time. A few moments later, a loud click can be heard as a lock is disengaged within the thick door. The door swings open on automatic hinges and the shop is revealed. The interior of Julzakama’s Loans dimly lit and crammed with shelves containing all manner of near-valueless items, from small appliances to VR game consoles and jars of colored powders. The shop has the acrid smell of a reptile house that has not been cleaned in months.
A massive vesk in a muscle shirt stands at the rear of the shop, behind a low desk and a series of heavy metal bars anchored into the ceiling. There is a small slot cut into the bars, presumably for the exchange of items and credsticks. The only entrance to the cage seems to be a door into the back of the shop. The vesk, who you assume is Julzakama, is carelessly disassembling an old computer when door opens, but he looks up from his work as the group enters.
The vesk opens his mouth and speaks with a swagger. ”Hey, look at this band of weaklings! Couldn't find any real warriors?” It is apparent he is speaking to Ash. He continues, this time speaking to the whole group. ”So, what can I do ya for? You need cash? That a droid or android?” He looks at Argon with a critical eye then adds, ”I don't buy androids. To much work.”
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Cora enters with the rest of the group, but can't hold back a sniff of disgust at the smell of the decrepit shop. The whole place needs a good clean, and Julzakama himself probably does as well.
She takes minor offense at the vesk's dismissive attitude, but it's not the first time anyone has ever looked down on her as a ysoki. She shuffles her feet and keeps her mouth shut, since they had decided that she wouldn't be the one talking. All the more so if an intimidating presence was what was required here. Cora watches carefully to see if he will be honoring the deal.
Hedd stands in stoic silence but attempts to look as menacing as a bald dwarf in armor can look.
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When Argon mentions the Starfinder insignias, Julzakama gives a wide smile. ”I'm glad you don't buy Vesk, 'borg-ling. Though, that would be quite the fight.” He slides a metal box through a gap in the bars, "Aye, I already got paid by Arvin. Be sure to thank him for his business. " The box contains seven insignias bearing the compass-like logo of the Starfinder Society. When compared to the implants, the insignias prove real. As the group inspects the contents, Julzakama speaks to Ash. "We all got to get paid, yes? Even by the weaklings. " He specifically looks at Cora as he finishes. "And yes, Robo-ling, I may be an insufferable prick, but I'm no slaver."
He laughs openly at Arratoi's comment. "Rat-ling, I would appreciate that muchly. The thing has been giving me trouble to no end." He winks. " Though... I'm not sure if I can give away that information... My customers are not always as nice as me. But I'll tell ya what. " The vesk scratches the scaly skin between his bony beard- spikes with a clawed hand and says, “Seems I’m now fully paid for those trinkets there. But I remember Arvin said something about wanting information, too, and I can do that. But information costs extra. "
He looks at the group with an outstretched hand.
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Argon-42 looks at the insignia and frowns.
"Information costs extra? I'll tell you what also costs extra. The blood of Starfinders."
She pauses a moment to let that sink in.
"You see, these insignia... they are cybernetic implants. Starfinders receive them when they complete a ceremony we call 'The Commencement.' If a Starfinder was expelled from the society then the society would reclaim the implant."
"Which means the only way an outsider could acquire these is by surgically removing them from a Starfinder. So the people who gave you these either kidnapped some Starfinders, and cut them out of their hands, or they killed some Starfinders and then did the same."
Argon leans forward over the desk.
"And you paid these people."
"So now you're going to tell us who you got these from. Or we will assume that it was all your idea."
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Surprised at Argon's sudden, aggressive outburst, Arratoi can't help but admire Argon's gumption. 'Time to go all in with bad space cop!' Arratoi thinks to himself.
Arratoi's eyes narrow and he begins speaking in a measured, calm tone, "You know very well that you've already been paid for information about the seller of these insignias, so tell us what you know about the sellers.
If not then the Starfinders have two simple things that are not so good for you. Let me tell you about them.
First, the Starfinders have a reputation to maintain. Do you REALLY think our INTERPLANETARY organization will tolerate some pissant Downlow pawnbroker reneging on a deal? One insignificant little meat head (that would be you) breaks a deal with us and suddenly everyone thinks they can push the Starfinders around. I don't think so.
Second, we have resources. We're a multi-BILLION credit organization with not just a starship or two, but FLEETS of starships and the personnel to man them, including soldiers. What do you have?"
For effect, Arratoi looks around the shop, throwing out a look of snobbish disgust, wrinkling his nose at the smell.
"You have a port-o-potty that you call a shop, and within this dung heap, you sit in a cage. Face it, you resist us and the Society will lean on you so hard, you'll never operate on this station again. And knowing how well-liked you are in these parts, no one's gonna defend you or care when you're gone.
And as my colleague here mentioned, we've got some missing members involved here, so the Society will NOT let this go. Believe me.
So I'll tell you what's going to happen. You're gonna tell us everything you know about those sellers. Then we'll give you a few pointers on how to disassemble that computer, saving you a few of those credits I mentioned. You're going to be very happy about that and thank us. Then we can all get on with the nice day we've all been having. Understand?"