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Lord Borak's entire existence so far has been knowing how and when to cleave to a superior host, so now that he's confronted with such a situation, he falls back on his strength.
Seeing that the thing is not attacking right away, he opens up dialogue as he would with any ego-centric ruler.
"Oh, here us mighty one. We travelers have come seeking you out!" Lord Borak begins, sounding for all the world as if they had come here looking for the monster and had not accidentally stumbled upon it at random. "We have heard far and wide of thy wisdom and thy prowess. And truly all the legends are, if anything, an understatement! Hear us now, O mighty one, and know that we beg thee to take us into thy confidence so we might spread thy legend and increase thy power to such extremes as the very pillars of the multiverse shall quake at thy passing!" he ends, arms out and head bowed in a universal sign of respect.
While speaking he tries to get a feel for his audience, trying to sense their intentions, even if he can't speak their language.
Shess takes the opportunity of Barak's potential distraction to sneak back to the ship.
Shess is able to sneak back to the ship while the others confront the large elemental with delusions of grandeur.
Lord Borak can not make out the motive of the elemental, but succeeds in persuading it to converse more. " You know of my legend? How is that possible? Speak!" The elemental speaks slowly and in a very old dialect of the common speech.
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Lord Borak grins mirthlessly. "I am Lord Borak. I do not need to be told things. I hear them on the wind and wise scholars whisper secrets in my ear, begging for my favor.
Many secrets and things thought long-forgotten do I know. But of you, I was told by none other than the Angel of Confrontation, Imrael, harbinger of Propoket the Many himself. He said that I should avoid you, for they greatly feared what would happen if thy empire was emboldened. Ha! I told him I would keep it in mind, secretly plotting for this very day!
Does that answer thy question?"
Through the speech Lord Borak's voice stays firm and even, as if telling jealously-guarded lore, and not making up a story on the fly.
The large elemental seems to ponder Lord Borak's response. "Hmm, I was right about you. Very well I shall grant you my blessing. " The Large Ash elemental burst into ash and leaves behind a staff. The staff seems to absorb light.
please upgrade characters and let me know in the discussion when done.
After collecting the staff and returning to your travel coordinates no more obstacles present themselves. You come out of the Drift on the far end of the Diaspora. Immediately you are hailed. After exchanging identifying codes, the image of Velith Dresperax pops up on the monitor.
"You are late." Is all the stoic beauty says as she stares at you coldly.
Shess' younger voice comes over the comms, "There's an angry pretty lady on the comms for you my lord "
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Lord Borak takes the comms, smiling at Shess' spirit. "Ah. Lady Dresperax. you are as enchanting as always. Apologies, as you know the Drift is not an exact science and we were slightly detained as we held council with a drift elemental of greatest size and greatest influence. We convinced him to give aid and blessings to our cause, of course.
Now, if we are past the idle chatter bit, have you aught of import to state?" he inquires, in the tone of asking her to the mid-winter's dance.
"My understanding is you are to woo Vic73R to our cause. As an android of a very analytical mind he appreciates promptness. Do not make the same mistake with him or he will micromanage you and may uncover our intentions before they are mature." She watches your reaction to her words for a moment and continues.
"Vic73R has begun trading, buying, and stealing Mnemonic Editors. We believe he has found a way to retool them to create mindless slaves of non-androids. This technology can be useful to us even if we can not persuade Vic73R to our cause. I have a Mnemonic Editor for you to present to Vic73R as a way into his organization. In addition I have local clothing, equipment and currency for you. "
Velith Dresperax gives you the coordinates to a large hollowed out asteroid that has been mined to completion and left as a lifeless husk in the Diaspora.
Uzur spends a long time before stepping out of the armory of the asteroid stash. A second doshko is now strapped to his back, plus a starknife, grenade pouch, and a pike taller than he is. "These Are Good Weapons. This Is Good." Uzur walks clanking back onto the ship.
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Lord Borak spends equally as long as Uzur, talking much of weapons and armor, listening and absorbing as much as speaking. In time he girds himself with a much stouter suit than he had entered with, and he grabs both a close and far weapons of considerable pussuiance. These he frowns at until he returns to them with a fusion such that both are now veiled, the rifle as a walking stick, and the Dosko as a decorative sword, made with much foppery and unfit for combat.
The only thing out of the ordinary is when he gleefully comes across a fistful of some odd mold and happily stuffs it down his throat. He hums to himself a few times before smiling and apparently satisfied with whatever he found.
"Blessings and gratitude upon thee and thy house. We are now have much better accouterments to undertake our mission."
Ash grabs a few medkits, along with several crystals of various purposes. Finally, he equips himself with a sturdier suit of armor, looking a bit like something a rakish space privateer would wear. Satisfied with his new equipment he joins the rest of the group.
Shess lingers until after the others have left shoving several things in his bacpack and walking out with detonator in his hand and an amused look on his face.
"Good. I have arranged you to meet one of Vic73R's subordinates. Take him the Mnemonic Editor and spare parts. If you ask to low a price, they will believe it to be illogical and suspect you of being an Agent for the Stewards of Absalom, if you ask to much you won't be worth the trouble. "
Once you get the items loaded on your ship Velith turns to you. {b]"Don't return here. I will find you once you have convinced Vic73R to join us or have secured his Mnemonic technology."[/b]
"I do not know. I only recently acquired this stuff when I was told of your interest in Vic73R. There isn't usually a big black market for this stuff. Retail is about 10,000 credits in major cities. " Velith says as she gets her ship ready, a slick one man fighter modified with a small drift drive. "I am sending you the coordinates of the meet now. Don't be late again." The hatch to her ship shuts and she fires off into the blackness.
Uzur hangs his armor up in his room before taking the pilot's seat in the bridge. "Are There Any Stops Before We Approach Vic73R In The Diaspora, Captain?" he asks into the comms.
Ashmerain replies from his captain's chair, "No Uzur. We will continue to the destination as planned. Thank you for your inquiry nonetheless. Lissala rewards dutiful service."
"Affirmative." Uzur sets navigation to Vic73r's coordinates in the Diaspora.
The coordinates are close to Velith's hideout. An hour away to be exact, though navigating in the Diaspora is not an easy task.
With Shess seemingly taking over the ship's piloting, Uzur is able to add occasional input.
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You arrive to the meeting spot on time. It is a small asteroid hidden amongst larger asteroids that seem to have a regular orbit considering its in an asteroid belt. Vic73R has 3 people with him. One is a large Sarcesian wielding a very large rifle. There is another android that is female and has two pistols on her hips. The last is a Vesk wielding their traditional Dashko.
Vic73R's appearance is unsettling. He has removed his outer shell and has reinforced his chassis with armor, but he looks more robot than android.
They stand waiting, their ship is landed. It is a unique shuttle that has an assortment of weapons on board. The true power though is in the army of drone ships that encircle the platform that seem to be controlled by Vic37R.
Uzur carefully lands the ship away from the meeting circle, so as not to leave them surrounded by the drones if things go sideways. "Please Allow Me To Change Into My Armor Before Disembarking," he asks into the comms before heading to his quarters to arm up.
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Lord Borak nods briefly to the armored and ready Uzur of Azlant before he strides confidently to the android's party, his glamered staff swinging good-naturedly in one hand, and the valise with the device in the other. The smile on his face is as warm as it is fake and immovable. Whatever apprehension he might have seeing that their host is so heavily modified remains unbetrayed by his approachable face.
"Welcome welcome!" Borak states loudly and boldly, as if Vic73R was coming to him in his lakeside manse, instead of receiving him on this lonely rock. "I see you have brought some capable friends with you to our lucrative meeting. And a welcome welcome to them as well!" he states, the words sliding off his tongue as smooth as Glakhirian ice in Preemian brandy.
"I had hoped to provide you a more handsome reception, but we know that the long hand of government sits oppressively over honest businessmen such as you and I these days!
Ah well, shall we?" Lord Borak says, tapping the valise gently, taking his time, laying the groundwork.
Shess maneuvers his drone into a combat ready position on the ship before disembarking. He hangs near the back of the group and stands quietly during discussions.
Ashmerain stands next to Borak, saying after him in a far cooler and measured tone, "What my associate says is true. We would wish to acquire your...particular talents...for a worthy cause."
These fools! You cannot delude a logical mind. You cannot 'worthy' a pirate. Ugh! These fops are proving me right! Why must my muddied blood force such brainless hardships for me?
"Three Azlanti, and a Kasathas. Analysis.... inconclusive, likely not from pact-worlds. How do you explain this anomaly? " Vic73R asks as his companions take a more aggressive stance.
"Azlanti? How can you tell Vic? " The Vesk asks with a booming voice.
"Subtle mannerism, purple eyes, accent, proximal bio readout..." Vic starts to prattle on before the other android stops him "Ok Vic, Ok. We believe you. So why are there three azlantians traveling way out here to trade us an editor? Worthy cause? Is that some kind of smuggler euphemism where you come from?" The female android is a lot more human like and though just as logical as her friend, she comes will all the frills of a modern android.
"We need an effective and most importantly covert way to move around the Pact Worlds unnoticed, and your talents for smuggling seem to fit the bill."
"Correct," booms the Kasatha's electronic voice component. "Your Ability At Remaining Uncaught Is Impressive. Pact Worlds Are Less Than Kind To The Azlanti."
"A deal set up on false pretense. Analysis... a set up. We will end the meeting now. Attempt to follow us and you will be destroyed." Vic73R says as he and his team back up to their ship.
Wait, perhaps I should have made myself a bit clearer. You will help us. The full might of the Azlanti Star Empire is behind us and you will rue the day you ran afoul of us. So I will ask again, this time bear what I have just said well in mind. We would wish to utilise your talents. Will you provide them?
"New variable. Official representatives of the Azlanti. Azlanti have android slaves, but also humanoid slaves. Equality. Azlanti have superior numbers, but are very distant. Will need a local Marshall to ensure loyalty to the Empire. Computation... ."
Vic73R stars at Ashmerain for a long time as his eyes blink red and black as he thinks. "Proposition. I aid you, and in return you make me Marshall of the Diaspora. Androids must be given opportunity for autonomy based on merit. I will rule fairly and logically. Are these terms the Empire can accept?"
Uzur unclenches his fists and drops hands away from the starknife holster. "Is This Agreeable, Captain?" the Azlanti asks.