Giving Sparks a disappointed look, Ester says "Oh please! I know my people have a reputation for being barbarians, but really!."
She shakes her head and gestures to her waist. "I'm not even carrying any weapons!"
The girls balanced on either side of Mikka's shoulders introduce themselves. "I'm Noodles, and this is Slyther! Who's your favorite band member? Do you like Bone because you're a Vesk?"
The one little cobra girl left on the ground looks sadly around at people's butts. She turns to Sparks. "Can you see? You're a little taller than me..." She swirls her pretty dress. "I'm Tangle!" Then she whispers, "Who's Hira? Is she your mom?"
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Buster grunts as he sees the packed crowd of teenyboppers. Ugh, civilians everywhere. I bet they're gonna be the biggest problem we gonna have.
Buster takes a black tank top with the words 'SECURITY' written in big yellow block letters out of his backpack and pulls it over his combat armor. He leaves the ship with a reaction cannon slightly taller than himself slung over his back.
Buster greets the Pahtra confidently. "Pleased ta' have ya' with us. I'm sure ya' skills will come in handy; but if we get any action, just keep your tail close to tha' floor and let us handle it. Get me?"
Buster scowls at the cobra headed girls when he first sees them but after listening to them for a few minutes he sigh and says to the littlest one, "Alright, little one. Ya' wanna watch the show? Hop on my shoulders. I'll hold ya up if ya' don't squirm too much."
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Chikasa nods seriously as Historia-7 explains the mission and warns about Zigvigix's condition. "I suspect he invited us to actually attend the concert with him. Assumin' we'll be off searchin' for this Hira feller, does that mean you'll be staying beside Ziggy to keep him comp'ny?"
Realizing his lack of knowledge about the target, Chikasa wonders if he might be able to do further research once he reaches Songbird Station. "Say, what's the connection like at the Station there? Will we have access to an infosphere?"
Chikasa can barely hear his companions speaking to one another over the thumping music and screaming crowds. The ysoki's new catchphrase for the day quickly becomes, "What ya say? Speak up!"
He sticks close to Zigvigix, though, especially when the trio of cobra-headed children come winding in amongst his companions. He watches the girls with an almost instinctual wariness, but he doesn't follow his first inclination to hide behind the shirren. He turns his gaze to look up at Zigvigix, though he keeps an eye on the kids, and asks the Exo-guardians leader, "So where are our seats? Or is it standing room only?"
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“I like CAPTAIN✶CARMINE the best, she is the most athletic!” Mikkazuki says to Noodles.
Loooking to Tangle, she adds “We can have you switch positions in a little bit. Sorry, but I only have the two shoulders.”
Smiling at Sunny, Mikka replies to her “Perhaps you could help Buster with Tangle?”
Twitching her whiskers, Ester assures Buster “No problem there! I’ve learned to duck for cover and follow Mikka!”
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Back on the ship:
After hearing of Zigvigix's personal sacrifices for the Starfinders:
"Oh my word, well we will of course hold the utmost secrecy for this. I will make it my personal goal to make sure that they enjoy the concert as much as possible, and will personally restrain my compatriots if they try to bother Zigvi... Ziggy."
At the concert!
Sebrir marvels at the costumes, lights, and overall excitement thrumming through the crowd. These are his people! Most of those in the crowd have probably seen his vidcast, after all, though he knows better than to bring attention to himself in the middle of this crowd during a mission. While he is not quite dressed as a band member, he is wearing the loudest, most SMC-like clothing he could come up with, including a bright-colored mask across his face which obscures his face but doesn't affect his vision. Under this mask, he's also wearing his vocal modulator, altering his voice just enough to keep even his most avid vidcast fans from recognizing it.
"My friends, as much as I appreciate you helping these young fans enjoy the concert, we should try to focus on learning more about our mark. I will go do some reconnaissance, before the concert gets underway."
With a theatrical sigh, Ester follows Sebrir through the crowd. Her exotic looks and playful manner attract a lot of favorable attention from the crowd.
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Buster holds the little snake girl on his shoulders as long as his back holds out, but eventually has to set her back down. He responds to Sebrir over his comm unit.
"If I start talkin' to people, I'll stick out like a sore thumb. My specialty is dragging 'im out of whatever hole's hidin' in. Now if he was out in the wild, that'd be a different story."
"Now that I thinks about it, just because Hira don't got his whole security detail, that don't mean he's got nobody wit' 'em. Ima gonna look and see if I can see any outta place muscle lurkin' about." Buster scans the area, seeing if he can find anyone who looks like they might be a hired thug.
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Sparks sees the sad little cobra girl blinded by the crowd, and answers: "Tangle?! Wow, now that is such a cool name. It's like a pop star's name! Do you have a group of your own? I mean, you already have such a cool stage dress!"
She then looks around: "Wait, let me help you", and is about to cast a spell to aid in lifting her, when Buster butts in and tries to show off.
Looking up at Tangle, Sparks smiles: "Can you see better?"
Then she whispers: "No, Hira's not my mom. My mom's... well, no matter about that now. Hira's a friend we want to surprise, and play a trick on. Any idea how to locate him here without his knowing? Oh, and where's your mom? Those your sisters up there on the Vesk?"
Chikasa nods seriously as Historia-7 explains the mission and warns about Zigvigix's condition. "I suspect he invited us to actually attend the concert with him. Assumin' we'll be off searchin' for this Hira feller, does that mean you'll be staying beside Ziggy to keep him comp'ny?"
Realizing his lack of knowledge about the target, Chikasa wonders if he might be able to do further research once he reaches Songbird Station. "Say, what's the connection like at the Station there? Will we have access to an infosphere?"
"I will keep my eyes on Ziggy," Historia-7 says. "And yes, there'll be an infosphere. Expect it to be loaded with entertainment feeds, though."
"My friends, as much as I appreciate you helping these young fans enjoy the concert, we should try to focus on learning more about our mark. I will go do some reconnaissance, before the concert gets underway."
Sebrir is one of the best dressed concert-goers in the Station! He doesn’t have to go out of his way to meet people, because everyone is coming up to do selfies with him! Although most of the people he talks to say, “Hira who?” at least one vendor says, “There are a bunch of corporate suits around here. One of them even has their conference bot wandering arou...” She looks up and frowns. “Now, where did it go? It was right here just a minute ago, but damned if I can spot it in this crowd.”
"Now that I thinks about it, just because Hira don't got his whole security detail, that don't mean he's got nobody wit' 'em. Ima gonna look and see if I can see any outta place muscle lurkin' about." Buster scans the area, seeing if he can find anyone who looks like they might be a hired thug.
Buster does not see any obvious thugs in this part of the station, but he does notice that his own weaponry is eyed by some of the security here. No one says anything to you, though.
Sparks sees the sad little cobra girl blinded by the crowd, and answers: "Tangle?! Wow, now that is such a cool name. It's like a pop star's name! Do you have a group of your own? I mean, you already have such a cool stage dress!"
She then looks around: "Wait, let me help you", and is about to cast a spell to aid in lifting her, when Buster butts in and tries to show off.
Looking up at Tangle, Sparks smiles: "Can you see better?"
Then she whispers: "No, Hira's not my mom. My mom's... well, no matter about that now. Hira's a friend we want to surprise, and play a trick on. Any idea how to locate him here without his knowing? Oh, and where's your mom? Those your sisters up there on the Vesk?"
The little girl, Tangle, giggles as she's lifted up first by Buster, and then by Sunny. "We're not in a band yet! Mommy does not want us to get 'swept up in that stuff' now." the little girl, says, quoting. "But our Mom is... um... somewhere around here and will call us when she--" Tangle breaks off as her heart-shaped comm unit goes off. Then her eyes widen. "Oh! Mom wants us back!" Tangle pulls off a pretty crystal Tsuchi-ko headdress and puts it in Sunny's hair. "Thanks for giving me a ride. Don't worry about the headband, my mom has plenty!"
She slides down and gathers up the her sisters who kiss Mikka on the forehead before going. All three girls wave and run off, before disappearing down a door marked 'Staff only.' The security guard steps out of the way for them, and then closes it behind them.
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Having gently let the two girls down, Mikkazuki waves them goodbye.
While she is waiting, Mikkazuki connects to the local infosphere and checks the seating arrangements. She figures someone like Hiro is likely to have a private box. If she can determine where those are, it would give the group a better idea of where to look.
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Having waved good-bye to Tangle, Sparks keys her communicator to keep the other Starfinders appraised of her location, and heads over to the security guard who let the girls through the 'Staff Only' door.
Pulling up the IA on her computer, which is represented by a little hologram of Fitch, the cyber-eared Ysoki of the Wayfinders, Sparks mentally feeds information to it and lets her IA do the actual talking and interacting.
"Hello, sir", says the holo' image of the IA to the guard, "may I ask who the mother of the three little girls who just zipped past you is? And how to maybe contact her? Tangle forgot her headband, which has a rather valuable crystal in it. We could return it..."
The IA will try to have a little conversation to talk the guard into giving information, while Sparks peers behind him, trying to find clues as to who or what this entrance might be for.
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“There are a bunch of corporate suits around here. One of them even has their conference bot wandering arou...” She looks up and frowns. “Now, where did it go? It was right here just a minute ago, but damned if I can spot it in this crowd.”
Overhearing Sebir's conversation with the vendor, Buster's ear pricks up.
"Conference bot, ya' say? What'd it look like?"It might be nothin', but even if it is, it'll give me a chance to walk around and check out the security here.
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Seeing that Mikka is already tapped into the local infosphere, Chikasa joins the vesk and throws in suggestions now and then for any other searches she might want to try to figure out the seating. "Have ya tried reversin' the mainframe on the PactTix site? Might be able t' find a list of UNs what purchased tickets for the concert."
In between moments of working with Mikka, Chikasa looks around the station for especially secure locations where they might either find a high profile individual like Lanzio or where they might be able to confront him later on.
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The security guard frowns at Sparks and their IA. "I'm sorry, I can't give out any information about minors and their family. I can take down your contact information, and find out whether the family wants their headband returned. Or if you don't want it, I can take it and put it into our Lost and Found." Sparks has no luck peering into the staff corridor. She sees brightly lit walls and that's it.
Meanwhile, Sebrir easily locates the conference bot in question. There's a crowd of giggling young teens gathered around a small bright red conference bot that is lying facedown on the floor, calling out, ERROR. ERROR. The bot is kicking its legs, trying to get up, but has no arms with which to right itself.
Sebrir also hears another soft voice calling from the bot, saying, "Can someone please help me? These tickets are not cheap, you know!"
Mikka discovers that there are no private boxes on Songbird Station. There are some slightly more advantageous seating arrangements, but as a Shelynite temple, Songbird Station has a very democratic vision of how art is for everyone. There may be high end amenities in some of the residences, but the stage is supposed to be for the entire audience, no matter their income bracket.
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Buster pushes the teens out of the way to get to the fallen drone. "Find somewhere else to be," he growls at the teenagers.
His voice is calm and low, but the violence that Buster is capable of follows him like a black cloud and he gets his point across.
"What'd they do to you?" he mumbles as he flips the drone back onto its feet and inspects it for damage.
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Mikkazuki organizes and shares what she has found out about the station, sending it as a low priority encrypted data package to the rest of the team and Historia-7. She also includes indexing, meta tags, an overview and a few quick notes of her own.
“Since there are no private booths, it is less likely that he is here for a private meeting. It also means he will be more accessible. There are still private meeting areas and residences, but the area where the concert is being held appears to be open to all.”
All public entrances and exits are highlighted on the map.
Areas set aside for the high end vendors are also highlighted.
A couple of the vendors are highlighted with a note “Please remind me to visit this one when there is a chance!” It seems Mikkazuki really is a fan of the band. Although the rest of the information was mission related, you can almost hear the fandom squee in her notes on these vendors.
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Sparks shrugs, and points to the brightly lit wall behind the guard:
"There's a spot, there!"
Then she waves good-bye and leaves, going over Mikkazuki's data package, and sending a little Thank you to her.
Sparks takes a few minutes go through her computer's data bank, trying to see if she has any info' on any performer or producer or such, with three daughters, maybe in the social columns.
After which she will scurry over to check out the vendors Mikkazuki highlighted, to see if any sell cheese.
The young teens scurry everywhere as Buster gets the poor conference bot upright again. In lieu of a head, the conference bot sports a high-end datapad out of which peers a worried looking and rather cute female ysoki wearing a pink and red headband that reads "I ♥ SMC!"
"Oh, thank you for helping me! My name's Diwata!" the ysoki in the screen proclaims. "I applied for vacation time for this concert months ago, but my stinker bosses sent me an emergency assignment and canceled my vacation time right after I arrived on Songbird Station, so I have to work from my hotel room!" Diwata allows her camera to pan the room. It's fairly high-end, with a nice view of a garden. "But I did not come all the way out here to miss the concert completely, so I rented this conference bot here to view the concert for me." Then Diwata's face falls. "Only... it's really unstable, and keeps getting knocked over by the crowds, and besides that, it's short. I think I'm going to miss the whole concert at this rate!"
As Buster starts stabilizing the bot, some of the teens creep back. "Oh, man. It sucks that your boss cancelled your vacation," one of them sympathizes, looking down at the floor guiltily.
"You know what would be really great?" another teen says. "You should get the grumpy rat to attach springs to your bot's feet so that it could leap above the crowds and get some great views of the stage!'
Diwata claps her hands at the suggestion. "Oh would you? Could you? I could even give you guys lunch in my swanky hotel room as repayment. The room service here is pretty good. Those springs sound awesome!"
Meanwhile, Sparks discovers an excellent cheese vendor, and finds a couple articles that speculated that the SMC band had shifted their touring schedule a few years back when one of them became a parent. The band members do not post anything not music-related to their blogs, but SMC only started touring heavily again recently.
Ester wanders by as Buster gets the conference bot righted. Hearing what is going on, she calls Mikkazuki. “Mikka, someone wants heavy modification to a bot. Are you available?”
After getting a response, she tells Buster “If you want her help, Mikka can be here ASAP!”
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Sparks shares the info’ via Comm’ with her comrades: »It seems those lil’ girls could be the children of one of the band members! This could come in handy... anyone have an idea of who they look like? I will... oh, wait, I have to go silent. »
And she cuts the communication.
»So, you sell cheese?! »
She will spend some time investigating the vendor’s fine selection.
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Chikasa's ears perk up when he overhears Ester calling out to Mikka. He scurries over as quickly as his aging frame can bear him and injects himself in the conversation. "Oh come on now, sugar, you don't want some big lizard messing with your bot. Trust a fellow ysoki to take care of ya. Here, let me see what we've got."
He begins checking the conference bot over, first working to address the stability issue by adjusting its gyroscopic sensors and actuators, then moves on to the question of visibility by working up a simple extendable arm for the bot's camera mount that will raise and lower rather than making the whole bot bounce around and potentially crush some other poor concert-goer.
Zip, zip!
Diwata plays with extendible camera mount. "Neat! If we add to the springs to this, there will be nothing I can't see!" Then she looks at all of you, curiously. "What brings you here? Is there anything else I can help you with?"
Meanwhile, the cheese vendor has a wide number of varieties. "Riverfall, a spicy and tangy blue cheese from Castrovel, Arkanen Lightning Cheddar, Araquand Tranquility -- a controlled substance on most worlds, you're not going to be driving, are you dear? -- Triaxian Drakelands Fondue mix, and Maraquoi Melts."
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Chikasa's ears perk up when he overhears Ester calling out to Mikka. He scurries over as quickly as his aging frame can bear him and injects himself in the conversation. "Oh come on now, sugar, you don't want some big lizard messing with your bot. Trust a fellow ysoki to take care of ya. Here, let me see what we've got."
"Ya need'ta get yer prescription checked, old man. I ain't no Vesk. And I think stilts would be work better 'an springs, in my opinion. We could also rig up up some magnets to the legs so it could climb to walls instead. Lemme give ya a hand, ya gonna break it."
"Ooh magnets!"
Clomp, clomp
"This is GREAT!" Diwata says, while walking on the ceiling.
★--- ★ --- ★ --- ★
Meanwhile, the mob of fans is getting thicker and thicker.
“I believe they meant Mikka. Speaking of which, I should probably go check on her.”
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When Ester finds Mikka, she quickly gets into the gap in the crowd behind her. She then tries to calm some of the more startled concert goers that may not have realized what a good idea it is to stay out of the way of a Vesk intent on getting someplace.
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Zip, zip!
Diwata plays with extendible camera mount. "Neat! If we add to the springs to this, there will be nothing I can't see!" Then she looks at all of you, curiously. "What brings you here? Is there anything else I can help you with?"
Well, we're super excited for the concert, but before that we're looking to meet someone named Hira Lanzio. Have you heard of him?
"Hira?" Diwata's bot says from the ceiling.
Clomp, clomp
"Of course I've heard of him. He's my neighbor here. His security consulting is supposed to be among the best!" Then, Diwata's face scowls. "But he's not had time for me, and even was a bit rude. Too busy with some other project. He probably won't want to talk to you, either. Would you like to see his picture? So grumpy, and not even in SMC gear! He wouldn't even talk to me about his favorite band members!"
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Chikasa's ears perk up when he overhears Ester calling out to Mikka. He scurries over as quickly as his aging frame can bear him and injects himself in the conversation. "Oh come on now, sugar, you don't want some big lizard messing with your bot. Trust a fellow ysoki to take care of ya. Here, let me see what we've got.""Ya need'ta get yer prescription checked, old man. I ain't no Vesk. And I think stilts would be work better 'an springs, in my opinion. We could also rig up up some magnets to the legs so it could climb to walls instead. Lemme give ya a hand, ya gonna break it."
"Wasn't talkin' bout you, ya young whelp! Gotta admit though, I like the idea bout usin' magnets. Let's give that a try."
"Ooh magnets!"
Clomp, clomp
"This is GREAT!" Diwata says, while walking on the ceiling.
"Glad ya like 'em, dear! Just be careful ya don't wear out the battery while yer on the ceiling like that or ya might not get yer deposit back on that bot."
Meanwhile, the mob of fans is getting thicker and thicker.
Chikasa tries to make his way through the crowds.
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"Well done, friends! Glad to see this remote concert-goer will be able to enjoy the show!
As the crowd presses in, Sebrir attempts to slip around and through the tight knot of people.
Unfortunately he's snagged mercilessly by another concert-goer's outfit, which inexplicably has spikes attached to it, and is swept backwards helplessly!
Mikka and Chik-Chik keep their feet, but Sebrir trips and stumbles his way right into the middle of a dance party in the hallway!
the crowd sways and shouts, and the DJ turns his spotlight right on Sebrir!
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♫ Ooh
You can dance
You can jet
Have a time you'll never forget
Ooh SMC
The place to be
Come now and dance with me
Concert night and the lights are low
Looking out for our place to go
It's a temple to Shelyn
Are you ready to begin?
Songbird Station for the win!
Anybody could be that guy
Night is young and the music's high
With a bit of rock music
Everything's sublime
No need to go rushin' home
Here with Mimimetal and Bone
You're in the mood for a dance
A sugary strawberry chance
You are now dancing free
Young and sweet
Listenin' to SMC
Dancing free
Feel the beat flow from you to me, oh yeah
Tchuchi-ko
Tell us what you know
Having the time of your life
Ooh, go and twirl
CAPTAIN * CARMINE
Wants you all to shine! ♫
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"Oooh!" squeels Sparks, looking at all the cheeses, her little black eyes glistening. "I am here for my employer, Hira Lanzio, you know him, right? Does he have an account with you yet? Oh my, just look at that Araquand Tranquility! Can I get a platter for him... oooh Drakelands Fondue mix! I want to jump in a vat of it..."
Suddenly, the crowd moves and Sparks is carried away.
"Not a vat of THIS!"
But she happily smiles when she hears the music, and starts to bob and weave in rhythm: "You can daaaaance!"
And though not very good, she is enthralled people clap at her!
She tries to conjure up a party hat, all black and red and filled with spangles, to wear on her white furry head.
"DAAANCE DAAANCE DAAANCE!"
Sparks gets sucked into the dance party!
everyone is clapping for her and Sebrir.
From the ceiling, Diawata shouts, "YOU GUYS ARE SO COOL!" and starts using the conference bot lights like a disco ball.
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"Glad ya like 'em, dear! Just be careful ya don't wear out the battery while yer on the ceiling like that or ya might not get yer deposit back on that bot."
"Ya pretty handy with a spanner, old man. That was some killer jury-riggin'"
Buster begins to muscle his way through the crowd, occasionally giving a particularly tall or obstinate concert goer a rough shove to the back of their knees with his armored shoulder pads. Unfortunately, even after all his weightlifting and cybernetic augmentation, Buster is still a Ysoki and weighs only a little over 40 kilos. He begins to find himself getting carried away by the crowd.
"Outta tha' way, security coming through."
Then Buster gets sucked into the clapping and dancing crowd!