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You sit inside the well-furnished office of Venture-Captain Arvin, waiting for him to arrive. The room is spacious, with comfortable chairs, deep blue carpets, and a wall-length window opposite an imported desk of Castrovel wood. It's rare that the lashunta didn't let you into his room after getting off some important call. Rarer still that he let his receptionist allow you entrance before he even arrived - he must be in quite a hurry for when he finally gets here.
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Reclining in a chair with his legs crossed, Zahvos Corvus looks around the room with a sly half smile on his thin lips. His long brown hair is lazily gathered in a loose ponytail, and his soft colored garments float as he turns around to examine the room with the eye of a connoisseur.
"Ah, yes, I recognize that Vercian painting. Went through the docks at Absalom Station a few months back. This Arvin fellow sure has a fine taste for art."
The grin becomes a full smile as Zahvos turns to Oda Umox.
"Not much of a talker, are you? To whom do I owe the pleasure?"
Through the doors enters a Kasatha. He quickly speaks:
"Call me Spider."
Spider wears a simple travel clothing with dark pants a shirt and a jacket. He has a spider tattoo on his neck which is probably a reason for his nickname. Spider limps a bit on his left leg, so he always uses his cane while walking and due to metal elements at the bottom of his boots and cane he makes a clicking sound while moving. He wears high leather boots.
His cane is black and has a Besmara symbol at the end of it. Behind his belt, he carries a semi-auto pistol that has its hand covered with leather.
Spider has a scar on his cheek and carries a bandana on his face to cover his mouth following the kasatha tradition. When Spider comes a bit closer you can smell a slight scent of alcohol.
"I hope I am not late, Historia-7 told me that I might be interested in this quest as it would allow me to chase some pirate ship that I have a history with."
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A slender blue haired android walks around VC Arvin's office looking at the trophies and pieces of art. His face remains expressionless as he analyses the art pieces trying to build a profile of the VC.
Without looking at anyone he says in response to Zahvos, "Nice too meet you Zahvos.I am Android Q-10. Has anyone worked with Venture Captain Arvin before? He seems to have an affinity for expensive luxuries."
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Zahvos dusts his brown work pants before getting up. He holds out his big, calloused hand to shake, and you notice a scar running on his right forearm.
"Nice to meet you, Spider. Pretty mysterious as names go, a pseudonym, I assume?" He smiles again and laughs without waiting for a reply. "I'm Zahvos Corvus. A pirate ship, you say? And here I thought maybe we'd be offered a smooth pleasure ride across the system. Oh well."
He shrugs before turning to Q-10. An expandable baton hangs from his belt, alongside a wooden totem of some sort. A faint smell of perfume emanates from his clothes.
"The pleasure is mine, Q-10. I haven't worked with Arvin before, though I've seen him from afar while working on the docks. Seems a pretty busy guy.
I've seen his name a lot on crates that come through, he definitely loves his comfort, that's for sure. Can't blame him." He smiles again before sitting back in the armchair.
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A dwarf clomps into the room, the smell of sweat and machine oil announcing his arrival. "BAH! I'm not an errand boy," in a high pitch mocking tone, fetch my lost ship, stop scary pirates, save the princess in another castle," he spits some foul substance into a potted plant for emphasis. "This had better be at least remotely important..."
Glancing at the others in the room, he licks his hand and attempts to smooth out his hair and beard. "Oh, pleasantries... Tulgarst. Pátrat. Call me Rat." He extends a slightly wet hand in greeting.
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The tall and confident Venture-Captain Arvin bursts into the room, devoid of his signature grace. “Thank you for arriving so quickly. As I mentioned in my comm message, we have an urgent opportunity to recover some critical information.” The lashunta sent no such message, which is rare. But some of you have already gleaned some information from other faction heads.
“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.
Not settled into his chair, Arvin looks more relaxed. “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.”
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Zahvos' smile wavers as he straigthens in his seat.
"I know the guy. He sells his merchandise in the docks, and isn't afraid to take advantage of desperate customers." He shakes his head. "That's bad for business. Though I hear the best way to get something through this thick skull of his is to be as aggressive as he is. Don't bother trying to have a calm and logical conversation with the guy."
Zahvos turns to Arvin.
"Arvin, do you happen to know the destination the Unbounded Wayfarer was headed to when you lost contact?"
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Q-10 stands straight and listens motionlessly to the VC's words. "Mission summary: We collect the Strfinder Insignia from Vesk pawnbroker Julzakama and collect all information on the seller of said Starfinder Insignia. We then locate and subdue the seller in order to confirm the source of the Insignias. Is that correct? Do the insignias have special properties we should be aware of? Also, are we authorized to release extra funds to Vesk pawnbroker Julzakama in exchange for more information?"
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Seeing no one accept his handshake, Rat rubs his hand on his pant leg to remove the remaining moisture.
As VC Arvin speaks of the lost Starfinders, Rat seems genuinely concerned...
" Julzakama?! That sorry excuse for Squox s++$. I've heard of him, he's barely worth calling pawnbroker. Half-arse strong arm is more like it... More likely to respond to getting hit in the jaw than sweet talk."
His mood quickly shifts, "Pick up insignias? Should we get some milk and eggs too? Meh, at least I might get to hit a Vesk…" He adjusts his pack, "So, we going? We've got groceries to get, and maybe find some missing Starfinders..." He turns to leave giving Arvin a wave somewhere between friendly and dismissive.
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Arvin frowns once again. "I don't know their exact destination, some planet in the nearer Vast. This case was only recently transferred to me; their previous handler was in the Scoured Stars and is just as as lost." He perks up a little as talk turns to the insignias and their specs.
"The Unbounded Wayfarer's crew received these special models long ago for exemplary service. They are no mere trinkets or symbols of rank! They can encrypt of decrypt data files we Starfinders wish to keep secret." Reasonably assured of your chances, he hands over a digital map to Julzakama's Loans. "You can pay him more for more if need be, but try to avoid that. It'll make the vesk more annoying to deal with if - when we have to again!"
It isn't a long way to Downlow, less than an hour by public shuttle. Although some areas of the district are clean and trendy, this narrow alley of concrete and metal buildings drips 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.
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Somehow, the inside of the shop is a worse story. The labyrinthine shelves are crammed to tipping point with near-useless junk. From half-dismantled toasters to decades-old VR consoles and jars of colored powder, the stacks never seem to end. A collector could likely find something worthwhile due to the sheer amount of items, but it would take time and present great risk of disease.
And the smell! The whole shop stinks of a reptile house gone months without cleaning. All that odor emanates from a counter behind heavy metal bars, at which sits a vesk in a muscle shirt. He is disassembling a computer when you enter, but looks up. "Hey there, little ones!" Julzakama's drawl is about as annoying as you'd expect. "What're you in for? I've nearly got this old bucket to play some good games. Or if you're looking for a sale-" he jerks a thumb at one teetering pile, perhaps at one thing in particular, "-an authentic Kalo-Mahoi waterproof tuxedo just came in. Perfect for all weather and romantic endeavors!"
When traveling to Downlow Spider responds to Zahvos:
"Oh yeah, it's not a traditional Kasatha name if you ask that. But I am not big on the traditions, and what is more, the line of business in which I operate favors nicknames more than the names. Let me just say that I heard about Julzakama and his kind."
When he speaks of tradition you can't fail to notice that his mouth is covered in a Kasatha way. And the symbol of Besmara that might let you believe that Spider does business with aliens like Julzakama from time to time.
A few minutes later he finds Patrat saying:
"Sorry for not responding to you greetings before..." He extends one of his hands.
"I was recalling what I know of this Julzakama Vesk. How did you end up with a nickname: Rat?" Spider asks genuinely interested.
Spider walks in looking around. He speaks when the Vesk is done:
"We came to finalize the deal, you offered insignias and information about its the source and we brought the money. Give us what we came for and we will leave your fancy establishment."
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Zahvos smiles at the venture-captain.
"We'll get this done, no worries."
Zahvos looks relaxed as he peers through the windows of the shuttle.
"So, Q-10, tell me about yourself. You live here on Absalom Station? Have you worked with Arvin before?"
Zahvos glances around at the alley, his signature grin hesitant. He wipes his brow before walking through the door.
Once in the shop, he lets out an impressed breath and begins to looks around, walking to the shelves and examining objects, lifting some of them for closer inspection. He listens with a distracted ear as the Vesk speaks. Zahvos then puts the object he was inspecting down and turns to Julzakama to hear his response to Spider.
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As they make their way to the shop, Rat takes a moment to look Spider up and down seeming perplexed by the willing interaction. "My people were held captive, tricked into believing we were working our way to the surface. I was part of a mining and settlement team, Tunnel Rats. As the tunnels become more and more unstable, members of the team retired or died. When it was less than a handful of us, the team fell apart but the name stuck... Then shortened. Rat." He demeanor is a mix of sadness and anger as he shakes himself from the memories... "Why Spider? Your people don't eat insects do you?" He seems uncomfortable, but trying to be social.
Entering the shop he steps around Spider, clomps up to the counter and kicks the wall. Having the Vesk's attention, "Pardon my new friend, he's... What do you call it? Nice."
Glaring up at the Vesk, "Ahem... The only games we'll be playing is pong with your nuts you sorry excuse for an under-evolved lizard. We've been sent to retrieve the Starfinder insignias you bought, and find out anything you remember about the seller... Talk or I walk out with a new belt."
"Why Spider? Your people don't eat insects do you?"
"Nah Patrat. It's not related to my culinary interests." With that he points out on the spider tattoo on his neck. It consists of the web probably starting somewhere on the arm and moving through the neck entering the lower sides of the face covered by a bandana. On the web, there is a large spider waiting for its prey.
Hearing how Patrat speaks the Vesk, Spider simply smiles.
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"I have only recently arrived at Absalom Station. In the Diaspora I helped eliminate an illegal mining operation that enslaved Androids. It was merely a coincidence that a Starfinder also participated in the mission. She recruited me and instructed me to come to Absolom Station if I wished to continue helping others. This is my first official mission with the Starfinder Society. I have not worked with Venture Captain Arvin"
Q-10 is amazed that anyone would keep so much junk. The matter recyclers and fabricators would be able to create new and better functioning objects using less energy than it takes to filter the air in this shop. He walks up to the Vesk looking menacing and making sure that the artillery laser he carries on his back is clearly seen.
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Julzakama gives the assorted Starfinders a mock once-over. "Really? Then we have something to discuss, kas-ling." He speaks with the air of someone who already knew. He slides a metal box bearing the Society's symbol through the bars.
The vesk scratches the scaly skin between his bony beard-spikes with a clawed hand and says, “Seems I’m fully paid for those trinkets there. I remember Arvin said something about wanting information, too, and I can do that. But he didn't say much regarding my fee for it. Info costs extra.” He holds himself like he’s won some massive debate. The stance barely lasts the few seconds it takes Rat to step up to the plate.
“All right, all right; the seller was named Exegara, and she wasn’t from around here,” he groans, throwing his hands up. ”Wore a flight suit, like she had come off a long trip. Once she had her money, she asked about where to purchase clean skeletons. I don’t carry goods like that, they’d stink up the place. So I sent her to the Vat Garden. She was definitely an Eoxian. Looked like a man-ling, but didn’t breathe or blink or anything.”
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Rat slides the box over to Spider, or anyone in picking-up distance. "Perhaps you're not the sack of s&~% the stench in here implies. The Starfinders thank you for your generosity, and look forward to working with you in the future." Rat gives a mock salute as he turns to leave. As he walks past Spider he whispers, "I can be nice too."
As the team leaves, "Since we've got the milk and eggs, should we pick stop off for cake before getting back to Arvin? We might be able to catch that Eoxian at the Vats..." He pauses, then "Well, slap my beard bald... Anyone know a what or where regarding the Vats?"
Spider responds to Patrat taking the box and putting it in his bag:
"Sure you can! You were like an ice-cream on a rainy day: dripping with sweetness."
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Julzakama gapes in annoyance as you leave, punching the computer lightly before he returns to his work on it. "Filthy little folk. There's a reason I put up these bars..."
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Q-10 nods to the vesk and follows his team out of the doors. Once on the streets, he goes up to the first few passers-by and asks "I am Starfinder Android Q-10 on a very important mission. I am looking for clean skeletons. I believe they grow in a garden of vats. Could you please point us in the right direction." Everyone he approaches looks at him awkwardly and hustle away from him.
"The citizens on this district are not very welcoming. I do not know where to find the gardens of skeletons. Do all flesh bassed creatures have to grow their skeletons in gardens. I was told that you were born with them and they grew inside of you. Do you grow extras like a spare part in case the one you are born with is defective?"
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"Friend Q-10, don't waste your words on these passing meat sacks, They are much too engaged in their own short lives that they pay little attention to manners. I don't even think they realize one of their betters is addressing them" He shakes his head sadly before continuing with the other android. "I have heard a great deal about the Vat Garden, It is owned by a family who uses the dead to grow food for the living, quite efficient actually. I don't know why the other meat sacs do not follow suit."
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The moment Zahvos gets out of the building, he erupts in a hearty laughter.
"You sure handled that, Rat. Was afraid I'd have to get my hands dirty, I'd hate to tarnish my reputation." He gives Patrat a long glance and a grin before going on. "We'd need people like you on the docks. Give 'em an earful when needed."
Overhearing the two androids talk, he goes over to them and gives them both a clap on the shoulder.
"Ahhh Q-10, I like you already. Don't be too quick to judge humans, my friends. If living on this damned station for 30 years taught me anything, it's that, below the stony facade some people like to put on, there's good in everybody. Learn to pierce their veil, and those meat sacks will be the first to lend you aid."
Zahvos nods at FR10R-W4R's description of the Vat Gardens.
"A lot of people frown upon the Vats accepting corpses to feed the crops, too. They're perfectly content as long as their plates are full, though, so no complaints are raised.
I wonder what that Exegara fellow wants with a corpse. What did the Vesk say? "Looked like a man-ling, but didn't breathe or blink."
Sure sounds like an android, I'd say."
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Passersby are more than willing to point the way to the Vat Garden, provided Q-10 isn't asking. It's no more than a ten-minute walk there.
At the entrance, the station passageways open into an enormous sunken pool filled with a riotous growth of plants. A narrow walkway leading to other parts of Downlow encircles the overgrown vat, and a spire of some kind of machinery stands in its center. For such a busy section of Downlow, the area is surprisingly quiet. Two ladders and a steep staircase pierce the foliage and lead down into the vat.
Through the dense green, you can make out several people. One is dressed in a ragged cloak, arranging a pile of skulls at the machine's base. Three humans stand around the lanky figure, keeping watch. The only other similarities between the trio are their thick muscles and sneers. They haven't noticed you - yet.
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"Good they are still here!" Q-10 takes off running to block the steps near the exit. As he sprints he unstraps his artillery laser and says in an amplified voice, "Citizens! What my green colleague is trying to say is, please identify yourself and your business in this skeleton garden."
He will hold the laser at the ready but not pointing at them, yet.
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Oda slams into the ground and tries to strike, hurting herself more than the merc. He and the other two men look surprised, but other figure casts off the cloak to reveal a horrid, lanky figure. She responds to Q-10. "For the moment, killing you will suffice!"
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Rat moves forward muttering to himself...
Focusing on the lanky female in the center (and locking on his combat computer), "Well, I didn't know this was an ugly b%+~& contest. Clearly you're winning." His rifle out as he moves to the edge of the walkway, "You have a choice of prizes, surrender or multiple rounds of 7mm delivered in a quick, aggressive manner?"
Spider stopped seeing the enemies trying to hide in shadows and decide what is the best course off action. Seeing Oda running full ahead and slamming on the ground he comments:
"What on Basmara's sake was that? Are we shooting some bad action movie?"
Seeing that action is happening he grabs his cane in two hands and unsheathe a blade hidden inside. One of his other hand opens and in it materialize a pistol that you could have sworn were behind his belt.
He takes aim at the closest mercenary and takes a shoot
The shot seemed to be aimed right but it hit some plant instead.
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The Starfinders get combat ready, some firing their initial shots. Most get lost in the foliage, but Zahvos strikes true! His shot badly burns a mercenary, setting him alight.
Exegara looks at Zahvos to return fire, but doesn't think she can mirror his miracle shot. She instead goes for Oda...
...but misses by a mile! The half-orc's crash-landing was calculated after all.
"Hey let me walk down there so that we can discuss the matter like civilized alien-beings."
Spider limps towards the ladder and uses it to descent down when he is down he quickly turns around and makes an immediate attack with the sword.
But his attempt was easy to predict just as his attack, the thug dodges it with ease.