Hal takes cover.
She fires back at Hal.
The shot hits the cover Hal is behind.
Wedge brings up his rig's display and begins scanning through frequencies.
Wedge manages to hook into the frequency of the android, and you can now openly communicate with her.
Hal fires his shots into the new Android assailant and sends a message through the comms
"How Exciting! A villainous antagonist hidden away within the Rock! Hello! If you are you willing I am more than excited to listen to any sort of antagonistic monologue!"
He says not realizing he's firing with intent to kill.
Kryten holds his fire now that communication is an option, opting to instead keep his head down and hug cover.
Wedge begins eloquently conversing with the Android, as only a Ysoki knows how... What in the hells is wrong with you, you tin can with eyes!? Ever heard of using your words? If we're doing something that displeases you, I dunno, maybe just ASK US TO STOP?
Wedge has Biggs fire again, hopefully deterring her with firepower.
She drops her weapon and puts her hands up in the air.
All right, I yield. I've tried and failed twice now, but no amount of money is worth stupidly sacrificing my life. Tell ya what, let's make a deal. I'll tell you whatever you want to know, and I'll leave you alone and head back to the station. What do you say?
Oh!....Wow that actually worked. Wedge stands in amazement for a second. Huh, I mean, yes. Good. Who sent you and why do they want us dead?
I was hired by Twenty One, Inc. I looked them up, and it was an obvious shell company, but I do not know who controlled the shell company.
It's obviously someone rich enough to afford shell companies and the lawyers to ensure its done legally and properly; anything less I would have uncovered.
And it must be someone who believes that you're continued work will interfere with their profits. Know anyone like that?
As for me, I work alone. Whether they hired anyone else, I don't know. But I'm not going to die for a job. So I'm happy to call this a failure so long as I get to walk away.
Kryten moves forward, gun still drawn and trained on the android. He takes the androids floating gun and backs up again.
"Where'd you get the necroglider?" he asks
Picked it up in an auction a few years back.
Those sneaky rats... Wedge mutters to himself. That's very helpful, thank you. Excuse us for a moment.
Wedge switches his frequency back to their private one. We've got a few possibilities so far. Astral Extractions is the obvious culprit. They have the money and the motive, which is exactly why it isn't them.
Wedge brings up his rig and begins searching for any connections or money moving between Twenty One Inc. and the Hard Scrabble Collective.
The Hardscrabble have been watching us this whole time. They planned for us to just kill this android. One tiny ship against the Hippocampus? One pilot against our team? There's no way she could succeed. She was sent to incriminate AE. If we believed AE sent someone to kill us, we'd grant the Collective rights to the Acreon and drift rock. Wedge looks around to gauge the reaction of his companions. Remember the name of the gang the HSC hired?
Kryten switches over to the private channel to listen to Wedge's thoughts."That... Actually makes sense. Astral Extractions would want the rock for sure, but if they lost it, it wouldn't be the end for 'em. For Hard Scrabble, this rock could be sink or swim."
After voicing his own thoughts he moves over to check on their remaining ally goblin, and puts a sympathetic hand on it's shoulder.
On a computers check, you do not see any connection between HSC and 21, Inc.
"That is quite the assumption, Wedge! But I applaud your deductive reasoning skills. Though I am unsure how well that might go through with the station if this following camera drone is able to key into our transmitter frequencies! Tell me, person of whom we do not know their name, do you know anything of what is past the iron doors deeper in this rock?"
It's Clara. Clara-374. And no, I don't know what's beyond the doors. I crashed into this side of the rock when you shot me out of the black, and I've been waiting here for you since then. I knew you'd be here eventually.
Wedge switches back to Clara's frequency when Hal begins talking to her. Well Clara, I wish we could have met under better circumstances. I've got two more questions for you. One, how did you plan to get back to the station with a destroyed ship? And two, out of sick curiosity, how much were you paid to kill us?
I'll have a friend pick me up, after taking a space walk. And I was paid 5k credits, with half up front. Be losing that other half now, won't I?
Wedge can't help but laugh. Well, no offense, but I sure hope so. We haven't gone through that last door though, so who knows. Wedge holsters his pistol and faces Clara seriously.
You know Clara, you have a pretty level head on your shoulders. You aren't so reckless as to throw your life away for nothing. I admire that. If you're looking for work, we just so happen to need a weapons expert on our ship. Wedge drops the frequency for the private chat that is most assuredly about to start buzzing.
Kryten switches over to private chat.
"This is all well and good, gettin someone who was payed to kill us on our side, but what ship exactly are we gonna have her work on?"
I can go for that, Clara says to Wedge's offer.
Hal switches over to the private frequency.
"Kryten you are thinking too much about the small things! This is something we shall resolve soon. After all we are part of the illustrious Starfinder Society! Surprising though considering her penchant for 'working alone'. Perhaps she shall betray us and we will have to scout the galaxy for her in the future! Ah. Adventure. Anyway, shall we see what's behind the metal door?"
Wedge raises his arms in excitement and Biggs crouches forward, playfully wagging his tail. Wonderful! Welcome aboard, Ms. Clara. If you'll excuse me for just a moment, I'm gonna work out a few details with my colleagues here. You're more than welcome to ride back with us on the Acreon, or go with your friend for now. If you leave a way to reach you, we'll be in contact shortly. Wedge smiles a big, toothy grin and switches over to the group's private chat. He turns around to face his friends.
Yeah, she's definitely still planning to kill us.
No assassin would agree that quickly to join someone she just planned on murdering. Her ride is probably already on their way and it's probably a ship full of a few more assassins. What do you think we should do? Wedge makes sure to casually gesture and nod his head often when speaking.
Moving to area D6...
In stark contrast to the caverns elsewhere inside the Drift Rock, this chamber looks more like a room on a space station or starship. Rather than the unfinished rock of the asteroid, the walls, floor, and ceiling are clad with finished sheets of some polished, metallic substance, along with components of unrecognizable equipment. Panels on some of the walls flash with lights and mysterious symbols, and an almost infrasonic hum of unseen machinery pulses through the walls.
There are also symbols on the wall in a language you cannot recognize.
Kryten inspects the sniper rifle he got from the merc.
"We'll deal with it when we get to that point. Might be she's tellin the truth. If that's the case, we kill her, we give her friends reason to go after us. If she is plannin on another attempt when her friends get here, we give 'em a funeral in the black."
Kryten spots something on the wall and moves towards it.
"Check it out, a hatch."
Wedge scratches his bum as he walks down the corridor.
Well lookie there. Kryten's right.
From an inconspicuous corner, a damaged robot rolls outs, blaring some kind of warning.
It raises its gun up at you in a threatening manner.
Kryten raises the rifle he took from the meec and fires at the bot whike retreating for cover.
Would you look at the size of that thing? I'd love to strip that hunk of steel down and see what makes it tick.
Wedge leaps for cover and positions Biggs to provide as much cover as possible.
I'd bet I could come up with a few ideas for upgrades to Biggs, too.
Biggs takes a defensive stance and growls before firing his artillery laser.
"By the great stars of Galavant Omecron 7 subspace vector 387.4D-13 that is one big old robot!"
Hal, lost in the moment, barely manages to realize the danger before bearing his Autotarget rifle and firing into the machine.
Again with the robots! At least it's not a robot ghost...