Scouting Mission

Scene: Scouting Mission

Players: Malideus, Sian, Kalden

Location: Alda City - Chut Moon orbiting planet Osodaath

GM: Kalden

Malideus- A little shorter than average for a human male, Malideus still makes for an imposing figure, with his broad chest and workman's muscles. He has an athlete's build, balanced between lithe and bulky. A hint of brown stubble covers his crown, and fierce brown eyes take in the world around him with an intensity that exceeds his otherwise youthful appearance. He looks healthy and fit, his overall demeanor summarized in a word: determined.

Malideus is wearing clothes suitable for physical activity. Baggy poly-synth pants, black with a silver strip down the outer seam, are tucked into faded black leather boots that rise to his knees, secured with a thick, primitive laces, tied and retied. A black robe with medium length sleeves comes down to mid-thigh. The robe is tied at the waste with silver material in a complicated knot.

Sian- Sleight of build, Sian has a lithe countenance to her that speaks to someone able to move in a deft fashion. While there's a certain underlying strength in her long limbs, most of it is build towards acts of dexterity and speed rather than raw power. Her hair is kept long, the brown locks so dark as to be nearly black. Her squared jaw is at odds with the pertness of an aquiline nose and the high arches of her brows, but is balanced by full, impertinent lips. While slightly deep set, her brown eyes are big, round, and lend to a hint of youth.

When made visible by her attire, Sian has a variety of tattoos on her torso and some embedded cybernetic work: a plate in her chest. The tattoos are all shaded black, mostly hexagonal in style.

A study of darkness, Sian's usual attire speaks to fluidity and layers. From a long tunic that skims her hips to leggings that disappear into sturdy boots. Her belts are more for utility than fashion, holding a variety of tools, knick-knacks, and other strange odds and ends. She can often be found wearing gloves, a long coat, and keeps her hair tied back in a rough braid.

Kalden- Kalden Vale is a Human male standing just slightly over 1.8 meters in height. He appears to be in his late 20s or early 30s. His build is light although apparently no stranger to the outdoors and physical activity. Strength is not lacking even if deceptively packaged on his frame. Brown hair feathers across the head yet it is trimmed along the sides and back to prevent it from becoming wild. One would hope that the hair has been fashioned this way and is not simply the result from spending too much time in the field and not taking enough showers. Hawkish light hazel eyes peer out into the world behind well defined ridgelines of a gaunt face. Few details escape their notice. Kalden's nose is on the thinner side, a sign that his ancestors hail from a warmer climate. Full, dark brown, bordering and black facial hair looks to have been unshaven for about a week.

Kalden appears to be a scout or tracker by trade. He wears a suit of light scout armor that offers little in the way of protection but quite a bit in utility. The base of the armor is a thin, dark tan hide with camouflage patterns dyed into hide. Extremely thin plates line the torso, back, shoulders and major portions of the leg and arms. They are painted in the same camouflage patterns and have plenty of scrapes from use. The plates are only thick enough to protect from random cuts and the bites of small animals or perhaps even an angry Ewok with a club. Protection has been fully traded for mobility and stealth. What the armor lacks in protection it makes up for in utility. Survival gear lines the armor. Everything from grappling hooks to fire sticks line the various pockets and attachment points of the armor. The only visable weapons are a vibrosword sheathed on the back and an rim world manufactured pistol in a hip holster.

The Sybiline is in hyperspace, the destination being the Planet Osodaath which itself it just outside the edge of Regency controlled space. The planet is known for exports of rare metals and minerals used in starship construction. Despite many congalmorates and even the Regency itself attempting to strike exclusivity deals with the planet, they have fiercely maintained their independence rather than to be shackled by contracts to one buyer. So needed are their exports that even threats of blacklisting the planet have fallen flat upon deaf ears.

Kalden places a classified report in front of the others to read. There is little information on the planet save for the moon Chut which acts as the Capitol. All business it conducted there with outsiders forbidden to travel down to the planet surface. The last time a Regency operative attempted to gain access to the planet he was forcefully turned back. More than one account confirms that their modern and capable screening fleet will and has shot down anyone attempting to make it to the surface.

After all have had ample time to review the report, Kalden turns to Sian. "As stated before, I offer opportunity to your house. The Regency has taken an interest in this planet with the upcoming expansion. I see no reason why Lord Auxillius would not make for an excellent Governor of this planet. That would, of course, build the rungs of a new ladder to climber. One that reaches far higher than the one he is currently on." The agent checks the Nav-Comp to see how much time is left. "This is a secondary objective which I extend as a courtesy. The primary objective is to gather as much information as possible for the expansion. Such scheming towards the secondary objective I leave to you." Next Kalden looks to Malideus, "While this mission likely has no importance to your own goals and is a stop before our other destination, I must warn that you are likely to see things that upset you. Remember that you will change nothing if you out yourself and our intentions early on." To both the question is posed, "Any questions?"

--

Back and forth. This way and that. The Selas seems unable to stop pacing. New clothes adorn his body, made with a skilled hand and measured to fit him as well as could be managed, yet he keeps pulling at the collar and adjusting the sleeves. A new cane made of some sort of clear glass or crystal is in one hand, and he continues to tap it on the floor every little bit, wincing at the sound it makes against the metal. His other hand reaches up from time to time, feeling for a mask that no longer adorns his face.

When Kalden addresses him, he stops behaving as a caged animal and fixes The Agent with a sharp, brown-eyed gaze. He reaches up and touches the vial strung around his neck, and for a moment, it seems to give him some comfort.

"The whole purpose of the healing is so that I could blend in." The Telgossians strange, slurred accent is much more distinct now that his voice is clear. Whatever his words about blending in, there is still much that marks him as a stranger. "I would be a fool to waste the opportunity during this errand. What do you expect me to see that will cause such distress?"

-

There's a look to Malideus as he paces and Sian leans back from the report. She gives Kalden a long look and then just shakes her head slightly. "And has Lord Cato expressed an interest in being governor of this place?" She sounds curious more than anything. "It's lucrative, but out of the way. There is the risk that it will leave him out of politics; forgotten."

Getting to her feet, she moves to get herself a drink: it's needed. "And what is he needed for?" A tilt of her head toward Malideus. "You expressed why he's needed for the other task, but for this one?"

--

Kalden snorts at the question posed by Malideus. "No idea but I would bet our lives that something is going on here. These people hold their cards very close to their chest and anyone who has ever tried to peek has gone missing. But no one ever says a word about it because they -need- these resources." The Agent looks to the Selas's cane, the crystal a stark contrast to the wooden one he used to lug about. "You've not mentioned what happened to the other one? It was like another limb to you." Although Kalden does not say it, he suspects the drastic action of the blood draw may have something to do with it.

To Sian he now turns his attention, respoding to her questions. "No he has not, however, locking a planet such as this one into the Regency without bloodshed would have his name on everyone's tongues. Only natural that the man who pulled off such a feat would be rewarded accordingly. If not governorship, then higher station on High Centre if he chooses to remain there." The question of Malideus causes the agent to grin. "I don't have an answer for that myself. But he seems to be a good luck charm. And you've only seent he beginning of his...tricks."

An alarm sounds in the cockpit which calls for Kalden's attention. His chair turns to face the viewport as his hand pulls back on the hyperdrive lever. The wash of stars begins to slow to a crawl until a loud clap signals that they have left hyperspace. In front of them, the planet of Osodaath commands the view of all. A large planet with a surface scarred from a lifetime of human activity. Few forests remain on this planet, victims of the quest for profit. Those that survive only do so because they lie over resources which are harder to get to than others currently being mined. Once blue oceans have turned green. The wildlife which maintained the balance of this planet, were no match of the rampant industrtrialization which ravages the landscape. Where wildlife failed, massive complexes replaced them to processes waste gasses into breathable air while others evaporate lakes of water into the air as they process the minerals pouring out of the mines. The side effect is that clouds and rain still grace the skies of this planet in an artificial manner. From the planet, streams of transport craft travel to the moon of Chut while a screening fleet isolates the planet from hyperspace capable craft.

The Sybiline's engines rumble to life, propelling the microcruiser forward. Not even a minute into the flight, a pair of TACF fighters scream past of the cockpit of the Sybiline, their X-Foils unfolding as they bank around. "Unidentified craft. Welcome to Osodaath. Please set a course for the Capitol Moon of Chut. All visitors are required to land in the city of Alda in the vistor district for processing. Unfortunately due to ongoing security concerns, hyperspace capable craft are not authorized planetside. Thank you for your cooperation." The TACF fighters settle into an escort formation at the flanks of the microcruiser. Passive scanners indicate that these are not hyperspace capable, but rather, an unlisted varient. "Interesting..", Kalden says, "No hyperdrive on these models but they have a much larger powerplant. I suspect we don't want to find out what they are capable of." He replies into the comlink, "Understood, setting course now"

-

The mention of the cane draws a frown from Malideus. He looks at his new staff, the contours of his palm magnified by the glass. His old staff had been carved, with intricate patterns running down the length and the top shaped into the head of some sort of hound. This one bears no marks and its head is a simple sphere.

"Sacrifices had to be made," Malideus says. But then the ship comes out of hyperspace and he looks to the viewport, his eyes filling with the stars rejoined.

What he sees of the planet twists his mouth into a sneer. Another planet ruined by the rampant, unfeeling hunger of machines and technology. How could it be that Telgosse alone should be alone in remembering what is right and true? And then it is clear what Kalden meant: this does upset Malideus. Taking a deep breath, he schools his features to neutrality and watches as the snub fighters surround _The Sybiline_.

"Whatever we find in this place will be poisoned. This is a place of scars and pain. If we leave unblemished, it will only be by the merciful hand of fate that it is so."

-

Downing her drink, Sian moves to a viewport to study the planet as they approach. She looks over to Malideus, considering his reaction. Dark eyes shift back to the planet.

She leaves Kalden to handle their instructions, crossing her arms and leaning against a bare piece of wall; away from any controls or consoles. "I imagine we're all well familiar with poison in our own way," she murmurs in a low voice.

---

Kalden nods in agreement with Malideus. Although he shared similar views with Malideus it was not to the same extremes that compel the Selas. "We are in agreement there. What we are here to find out is why type of poison we are dealing with and how deep it runs." Looking to the scarred surface, nearly unfathomable volumes of land have been ravaged by strip mining. Unseen from space is the vast networks of mine shafts that pierce into the shell of the world. "Whatever this world used to be it is long gone. It only serves one purpose now."

The agent steers the ship towards the moon of Chut. Some time passes before the fine details come into view. It is remarkably the perfect contrast of Osodaath in every way. The uninhabited landscape is unblemished by Human hands. The Capitol city of Alta rivals High Centre in archtectual beauty. Even the massive warehouse and spaceport district to the west of the city does much to respect the natural landscape, blending in with surroundings rather than being stamped upon them.

The Sybiline takes the given approach pattern, firing thrusters to yaw into the correct axis. A slight rock disturbs the ship, dampened significantly by landing struts that absorb most of the energy. Kalden hits a series of switches to power down the ship, systems letting out a final whine as lose power. Outside of the ship is a remarkable sight. The people are happy, going about their jobs with unusual excitement. Even the cargo loaders and technicians look happy to go about their jobs. Squads of well armed security detatchments patrol the spaceport, inspecting newly arrived vistors and ships before moving on to the next. Life here seems perfect except for one digital poster which illuminates the exit of their landing bay.

Wanted: Runa Se

Occupation: Piracy, Terrorism, Murder, High Crimes

A holographic picture of the woman spins around, showing her features.

---

Malideus grounds the cane in front of him and watches as the ship makes its approach to the surface of the moon. His posture and countenance express calm and composure, but a slight twitching of one of his fingers on the crystal sphere gives the lie. In truth, Malideus has never cared for flight, except on _The Stark Contrast_. It was the only ship he'd ever known that he could feel. All others, even this one in the presence of other living beings, felt like the belly of some great and terrible corpse.

Outside the ship, Malideus fills his lungs with the air of Chut, and relaxes. Even comforted by the feel of earth beneath his feet, his eyes scan the crowd, looking for signs of danger. The people seemed content, perhaps overly so. He'd found the Nahrahm on Valentine's World much the same way during their celebrations, and like then, it made Malideus suspicious.

When his eyes land on the wanted poster, he smiles. "A bounty. Good that you brought a bounty hunter. If we encounter this Runa Se, what will be our disposition?"

Taking up the rear, Sian pulls on her coat as they step off the ship. It helps to mask the weaponry she wears. She stops before the wanted poster as well, considering it at length for a moment. "High crimes," she echoes in a quiet tone. "After piracy, terrorism, and murder... what's left?" A slight twitching of her lips and she turns to keep following.

"Someone like that could be beneficial to the cause... potentially. But if you're seeking her as a bounty:" she looks to Malideus, gives a small shrug. "I could certainly help you pursue her."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Two guards arrive in the landing bay as the trio make their exit from the ship. Strangely it's not the newly arrived guests that concern them at all. Focus is singularly placed upon the landing gear and loading ramp of the microcruiser. No one was to make it on that hyperdrive capable craft without first being vetted.

Kalden listens to the question and gives it due consideration. "That is one possible approach, likely to gain favor with the leadership of this planet. But who knows if she is even on this moon... or Osodaath. That is a lot of ground to cover but not an impossible task."

Arriving at the exit of the bay a protocol droid becomes alive with personality. Arms flail wildly as a voicebox loudly proclaims "Greetings travelers! Governor Grajon Ishove extends his warmest welcome! If you are here for business opportunities, please visit the office plaza of Karkata Abrcor, Head of Finance for all mining and sales operations!" The droid looks closely at the 2 men and woman before him. Arms "If you are bounty hunters, here to test your hand at capturing that -vile- and -treacherous- Runa Se then visit the security center and ask for Brogra Lawtchin, head of security operations in Alda city. I must warn you though, many bounty hunters have failed in the atttempt. We accept no liability for personal harm, dismemberment, death or loss of property. Any recovered property including your ship will be auctioned off to cover funeral expenses." And just like that, the protocol droid shuts down. Beyond the droid a transportation hub, bustling with travelers awaits. Skycabs stand ready to take you anywhere you want to go.

---

"Another droid," Malideus grumbles as the protocol droid vomits its effusive greetings upon them. His knuckles go white around his crystal cane, until the droid turns and moves off. "The whole lot of them should be melted down and made into something useful. Telgosee has never known the riches of ore and mineral you all seem to take for granted. And what do you do with it? You make the imitation of man, walking around, as soulless as a stone."

Malideus walks around, stepping off in the direction indicated for Brogra Lawtchin, then turning and coming back to The Agent and Sian. "If you want my opinion, it is that we should ignore the bait and seek whatever it is The Regency Lord required. This place is strange to me. I do not trust it."

Tucking hands into pockets, Sian ambles along just behind Kalden; alongside Malideus, perhaps. She seems to have no qualms in walking near to the Telgossian. When the protocol droid comes to life, she comes to a standstill and stares at it with a placid expression. Once it returns to stillness, her lips twitch downward into something of a frown. "Seems a waste. The same purpose could be served with a speaker or notification board."

There is a glance sidelong to Malideus and a brief snort of bemusement. "You're opposed to slavery, but also to the concept of droids... which could readily replace slaves across the galaxy. Pick one or the other, but opposing both seems simply contrary." As for what the Lord requires, she lifts both hands in an almost supplicating fashion. "Lord Cato has no explicit plans for this place. But gathering intel is never amiss."

---

The taxiway opens up like a seashell, exposing the pristine blue air of Chut moon. Elegantly craft skyscrapers pierce through the skyline but an eyesore they are not. Vehicles travel along invisible roads in the sky, each one worthy of a Noble on High Centre. It does not take long to realise wealth in abundance overflows in Alta city. No one here seems to be poor as even the lowest of jobs seem to employ well kempt middle class citizens.

Approaching a skycab, the the trio is alone for a brief moment. Kalden now answers the previous question. "Scout and find a weakness to exploit. If you are able to find opportunity for your Lord so be it." When Sian mentions droids replacing slaves the Agent smirks, "Careful what you wish for." Arriving at the skycab, Kalden lifts the door open for the others. "Until someone figures out how to build starships and droids out of wood.... responsibly harvested I'm sure" the Scout quips, "Malideus is doomed to a life of sulking and shaking his cane at things. The great plague of sentient life will always lean towards over consumption. That is why the galaxy needs the Regency. Order and balance in all things that individuals cannot be trusted to manage as a collective of equals." Neve would be proud of that speech if she was here to hear it.

-

As Malideus follows along with the rest of the group, and as he ducks into the skycab, he addresses Sian. "Slavery and droids. You make it sound as if you must choose one evil for another. I choose neither. I would tear apart the mockery of man, and I would free another from their chains. The only ones that require others to do their work are the lazy and the weak. I would do without that sort as well."

Kalden's mention of a wooden ship does bring a smile to Malideus's lips. "I should show you my ship, some day. But maybe it would not quite be to your liking."

As the vessel takes to the air, Malideus grimaces once again. Again, the sensation of be carried in the belly of some great and terrible flying corpse, a being with no sense of life to it. Yet the feeling of ascenion and acceleration remain. Unliving conveyance. Unnatural and unsettling.

"If we want to find the weakness of a place, we should ask the one they fear why they are afraid."

--

"Droids are tools. It is a weakness to reject a tool simply because you do not understand it." Sian settles into the skycab with the other two, largely nonplussed. She selects a place near a window so that she can watch outside: all the better to begin her study of the city.

"Investigate their monetary flow. Where it comes in and goes out and how it is managed."

---

The skycab soars through the air, skimming along the outskirts of Alda. Beyond, great plains stretch to the short horizon of the moon with a few trees here and there to break the flatness of the terrain. The landscape at atmosphere of Chut were likely made by Human hands. In the distance a biosphere which would normally be found on an inhospitable world stands as a museum. At one point the world may have been hostile to life yet now it seemed a paradise. Beyond the horizon, deep in space Osodaath floats by. An orangish and red world bearing many scars across its surface. Kalden looks upon it with mild interest while Malideus mentions his ship. "You might be surprised. When my retirement comes.... put me in a log cabin by a lake, far away from the bustle of a city and I'll be the happiest man on the planet."

The skycab now skims along the warehouse district. Here transports unload ingots from the planet surface while freshly unloaded ships launch and bank towards the damaged planet beyond. From Sian's view she might notice a blaster shot. One black spec shoots at another which moves away from a transport. A spec which now remains motionless.

In time the cab finally arrives at the security center. Just as before, the guards here are very well armed and professional in appearance. Inside the operations look like something out of a Regency operating manual. Well defined roles, military bearing and capable men and women performing their duties. Droids are no longer entrusted to mundane tasks. Here, even those are performed by living beings such as the one the greets you upon entering. "Good Afternoon....", a casual glance at the attire of the arrivals, "Hunters?"

---

Malideus does his best to enjoy the scenery, in spite of his reservations. The place bears scars, something Malideus knows a thing or two about. The world has carried a disease of humanity, all pecking at it and tearing its flesh for their consumption. Malideus raises his hand and wraps his fingers around the vial tied around his neck. This, too, is something he's familiar with.

The guard addresses the trio, and Malideus turns and looks at Sian and Kalden. The Agent had offered the warning about blowing his cover or standing out. It was up to the "married couple" to maintain the cover verbally, as far as Malideus was concerned. Grounding his cane in front of him, he looks to Sian to make an answer for all three of them.

---

Thankfully, Sian hadn't been made to do any 'dressing' the part yet. Her resentment will surely build if and when that happens. The woman leans a bit more into the window to track the blaster fire. As she does, she says: "I've had enough time living in forests. I prefer the city."

A strange comment, perhaps, unless one knows her specific origins and where the Academy lies.

When they arrive and the guard speaks to them, she leans back from the window of the skycab and considers the man. "Security personnel for an interested party. They had no wish to potentially risk their person without having the city scoped out beforehand." A truth and a lie, as it were.

--

"Ohh", says the receptionist with an air of disappointment. "Well at least I won't have to make another set of access badges." After a brief conversation on the comm system, the party is informed that the head of security has time to see them. The trio finds themself in a very well appointed office, three chairs placed before the desk that Brogra Lawtchin sits behind. It has hard to tell, but one might get the impression that his chair was set a few inches higher to give an impression of authority.

"Welcome to Alda City. I understand you have arrived in advance for an interested party. Normally such visits go to the Ministry of finance, however, given our current circumstances I understand the visit. So lets get down to it. Who should we be expecting?" Lawtchin was obviously a trained investigator, however, he lacked a certain touch when it came to those familiar with the craft. His intentions behind the question were an open book.

Kalden remains silent, letting Sian do the talking. He recongnized the tactic she was using and it is one he often uses himself. Lies are easier to remember if they are true. He also makes no mention of being husband and wife. His reasons for telling Sian such a thing on High Centre have not seemed to have manifested themselves today.

--

For his part, Malideus recognizes the dynamic and enough of the social currents to know how to perform in this situation. One does not need to be a powerful swimmer to know when the water is moving too swiftly for safe swimming. Ignoring the chair offered to him, Malideus takes a position standing behind Kalden and Sian, his cane in front of him with his hands resting on its spherical top. His legs are shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent.

An alert bodyguard is not expected to take part in the conversation. So he stands, watching and listening. It's almost a perfect disguise for the Telgossian.

The longer Sian can go without the cover of being a married couple, the better. She can play such parts, but she largely prefers not to: truth be told. When Kalden doesn't speak up, she takes in a breath and sits up a measure straighter. If any vexation shows, perhaps the Head of Security will think it related to the job itself.

"A businessman, old money, but new to such pursuits as you have here. He heard tell of the criminal Runa Se and wanted us to look into matters before setting foot in the city himself. He bid we handle it on his and your behalf if necessary."

--

Brogra nods at the answer, seemingly disappointed that he did not get a direct answer. They often dealt with such clients but did not complain about it. As long as the basic units continued to pour in, such matters were not pressed by those who dealt with the finances of the operation. "I understand. We value the privacy of our clients above all else." An obvious lie which the Head of Security makes little effort to hide. It was corporate speak and Sian could be sure that they were very interested in knowing the identities of everyone they dealt with. Perhaps sidelining the Head of Finance in this manner was a fortuitous move on the part of Sian. With Brogra out of his element he was playing his cards poorly and Kalden was sure that they would pick up a tail as they moved about the planet. He was impressed, however, he was not going to tell Sian that.

"On the matter of Runa Se....... She is a pirate, murderer, terrorist and is guilty of high crimes against the government." A datachit is removed from his desk and slid over to the trio. "Inside you will find security footage of Runa and her outfit ambushing and killing a patrol in cold blood. You will get a clear picture of Runa's face and a few of her men. They often manage to make their way from Osodaath to Alda, though we have been unable to determine how they are doing it." This is something that seems to redden the face of the Head of Security. "The only ships which may travel to and from the planet are hyperdrive free. This is to contain the threat and reduce piracy from the gang." Brogra sneers towards Sian, his thoughts on Runa Se. "She is wanted dead. Only dead. The reward is a transport full of ingots. This prize has drawn many hunters, all of whom have vanished. Hopefully your... employeer has chosen his men well. If you accept the job, see the front desk for access badges. It will grant you access to most parts of Alda." With that he waves off the trio. When they near the door he shouts at them, an important detail coming to mind. "Do -not- go planetside. The badges will not get you there. If you do you will be shot for espionage and attempting to steal our trade secrets."

--

"Before we go," Malideus says from the door, trying in vain to mask his Telgossian accent, "if I am to do my job, I will need to know how to protect my people. You're head of Security. I will look at the security files soon, but in your words, briefly, what does Runa Se do to the people she believes are enemies?"

Malideus doesn't look to Sian or Kalden for this. This is the kind of questions he would ask as a bounty hunter. He thought a security guard would ask the same, but Malideus was giving anything away by his impertinents, he didn't want to read it in the eyes of his associates. They could have a reckoning after.

---

"My employer will arrive, himself, once he is certain of his safety and that his money will be well-spent with your organization." Sian's usual modus operandi is 'boredom' and it serves her well here. "I can assure you he will show his appreciation, openly, for those that aid in this endeavor." Further attempts, perhaps, to unseat the Head of Security.

Given their leaves and the data chit, she gets to her feet and tilts her head in a nod. "Thank you for the information. We will not go planetside without the proper credentials." Whether those credentials are obtained legally remains to be seen. She starts her way out, not even looking to Malideus as he handles his parting business.

-

Bogra looks to Malideus after the question was posed. "I was starting to think you a mute" Fingers rub against thorbbing temples to relieve the stress of thinking about Runa. "She kills by ambush when she can. When cornered she spits lies more potent than the venom of a Shri'len Viper. She could turn a pacifist into a serial killer, or a serial killer into a pacifist." The trio is lazily waved out with a limp wrist, "Just shoot her if you know what's good for you"

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

There was an advantage to being the one dispatching mercenaries and hunters after someone. You could fail a hundred times and not be any worse off for it. To be the hunted.... you had to beyond mortal to survive. Unfortunately for Runa she was not immortal. She was Human and like every other one out there, she made mistakes from time to time. Now she was on the run, bounty hunters in hot persuit.

The trio find themselves in the underground network of Alda city. Pipes, power conduits, communication lines all run through these narrow corridors dimly lit by red lights. Malideus and Kalden managed to overhear a group of hunters hurridly discussing the set up of an ambush in the underbelly of the city. One of Runa's men got caught and he spilled the beans to spare his own life. The hunters killed the man anyways, rather than risk letting him tip off others. Once the trio arrived in the network of passages, it was Sian who was able to track the movements down the narrow corridors to close them in on Runa's exact location.

The sound of blaster fire echoes through the passageway. One shot at first...then a burst and finally a ceaseless barrage of battle somewhere up ahead. Kalden withdraws his blaster, moving towards the sounds or so he believes. The group arrives at a split, the echoes of sustained fire bouncing off walls in all directions. Impossible to tell which way they were originating from. After a few seconds a flood of potable water rounds the bend of one passageway. It was only a few inches deep but enough to make movement difficult and cause one to lose their footing if not careful. The agent says to the others, "They must be that way. Runa probablly shot out a water main to cover her retreat." Kalden looks to see if Malideus and Sian were game to charge into this.

-

Blaster fire. Of course. It almost always came down to blaster fire, the final symptom of the technological malaise that infected this Fate-blighted galaxy.

But this is what Kalden brought him for. The Selas steps forward, his grip shifting on his cane.

"Stay close behind me. And try not to kill them." Malideus makes the statement as an order, mindless of the fact that he holds no rank or position of authority among the group. He doesn't look back for confirmation, either. It's not time for that.

As Kalden had seen before, Malideus's cane begins to glow. The light is a clean cerulean blue, starting dim at the core of the short staff, slowly growing with intensity. Brighter and brighter, until it seems he's holding a rod of plasma in his hand, which hums with the sound of a cord being rung, a long, pure note that resonates at the base of the skull and sinks down into one's chest.

Kalden nods to Malideus. He has only seen a few of the Telgossian's tricks but they were powerful and he was sure there was plenty more locked away in his mind. "Lead the way then. Worst case.... you take a shot meant for me" His pistol clicks softly when the switch is toggled over to the stun setting. It was weak in this regard and short on range. Only his faith in Malideus let him confer this disadvantage to himself.

The party makes their way deeper in the maze of passwages. While they do so, the sound of blaster fire subsides into silence. First, the water, reddish in color starts to turn darker as something contaminates it. The light from Malideus's staff turns it purple. Ionized air wafts through the air, singeing the nostrils of the trio. A body slowly washed past for all to see. A man in an Alda security uniform with fresh holes burned into the chest of the uniform. The water is exceptionally purple around the body and it is now clear what is in the water. Blood of those who have died. They come across a few more men in security uniforms and one armored hunter who unlike the others is motionless on the ground, his mass to great for the water to slowly push. The blown out water main is finally passed and the group is once more on dry ground. Still more bodies of security officers and another armored hunter lead the way to Runa like bread crumbs. The trio finally comes to a bend that leads into an equipment room. Inside the subtle hum of machinery drowns out footsteps. A voice calls out.

"Runa you've got nowhere to hide. That bounty is OURS!" The male voice was furious, the loss of two of his men weighing heavily on his profit margins.

The glowing cane is distracting in its own right. Sian shakes her head and tries to better focus on their task. She does mutter something to herself, but readies her blaster nonetheless.

She sidesteps the body, looking it over briefly enough. "Bad sign," she murmurs in a low voice. Climbing up out of the water, she picks her way through the bodies. At the shouting, she stills and moves back to press against a wall: moving forward only to get a brief glimpse if possible. The woman is not rushing in at the moment.

-

To power the cane in such a way, the Selas draws upon the True Source. There is no artificial or technological artifice at work here. As a side effect, Malideus drops into a deep, emotionless calm. He always finds peace in the warm comfort of the True Source, and since healing away the deadly disease, he has drawn upon the True Source less. In this moment before the fight, when the tension is taut in the air and there is blood in the water, Malideus welcomes the relief. He is one with the weapon in his hand. He is connected with his companions, sensing their life force as energy beings close at hand. He sees and feels the absence of life in the corpse near Sian's feet. He is one with his Curse and the calm it brings.

His steps become lighter as he moves closer to the source of the voice. He expected blaster fire, but thus far, there has been none directed towards him or his companions. Good. Malideus preferred a less direct means of dissolving the conflict, when it could be arranged.

Beyond the shadows and around the bend, there is the man calling out to Runa. Malideus charges, his leather-clad feet light and barely making a sound. The cane in his hand remains alight with the power of the True Source, ready to deflect blaster fire as needed. Right up until it is swinging towards the other bounty hunter's head. Only then does Malideus extinguish the wicked blue light.

Runa does not reply to the commands of the bounty hunter. She remains corned like a rat trapped by starving felines. They knew she was there with nowhere to run and it was only a matter of time until they flushed her out. A damaged carbine lays at her feet with a fresh blaster hole in the side of the weapon. It had been damaged in the shoot out and she no longer worked. Her thoughts begin to wander to the planet of Osodaath and the reasons she has chosen to do what she does. A hand feebily wipes tears away from her face, leaving muddy streaks in its wake. Runa inhales deeply and silently readies the damaged carbine to be used as a blunt weapon, wielding it by the barrel. She knew it was futile but she would try all the same. It was all she could do.

"You think Brogra will give me a bonus when I tell him they've been trying to find you in the wrong place?", the Hunter taunts at the woman. "That you've been stowing away on their own military transorts while they have been looking for you on Civilian transports?" The man pokes around a corner, pointing his rifle in as he does so. Runa was not there, so he keeps looking...and taunting. "You know that wearing the uniform of your enemy makes you a spy right.....no trial? No jury...Just a lonely execution."

At that moment Malideus made his silent charge, his weapon striking home upon the head of the Hunter. The body thuds on the ground, unconcious but still alive. Blood pours out of an open wound but it is not life threatening.

In the shadows, another predator lurks. Another that had been tailing the bounty hunters. When Malideus strikes he decides that now is his moment to attack while the Selas is distracted. A camouflaged figure wearing a shadowskin suit silently dashes out from the shadows. So effective is the technology around his body that he looks more like a spectre than a living being. The only things that looks real is the Katana which unsheathes, reflecting some of the light from Malideus's staff. Kalden catches this reflection and the shadow wielding it. Without hesitation, his pistol levels in the path of the charging figure and fires off a stun shot. The man is jolted but as the agent said earlier his pistol lacks power with this setting. Still, it slows him enough to provide the Telgossian with time to react.

Sian waits in her own shadows: unwilling to reveal herself so readily as Malideus did. However, when the sword-wielding man rushes forth... she does move. Her shot, however, goes a bit wide as she catches him in his shadowskin just a second too late. Swearing quietly, the woman moves forward. Readying her blades in her off hand, she underhand tosses her blaster toward Runa. "Safety's on," she shouts along with it, having flipped the aforementioned switch before the toss.

The rush to action, the decisive strike, is a move that has served Malideus since growing up in the wild and dangerous endless forests of Telgosse. When you do not have a shelter to hide in, when the only choice forward is to strike, then you strike true and without hesitation. Surprise and strength can make the difference between a successful hunt and a disaster.

In the midst of the rush forward, drawing upon the True Source, Malideus sees possible futures. He sees one in which the one calling out to Runa turns and blasts Malideus in mid-charge, the blaster burning a hole right between his eyes. He sees a future where Malideus is slow to release the power filling his cane, and the blue light burns a hold through his opponent rather than knocking him unconscious to the ground. The aftermath of such an action, taking a life with the True Source, spins off into other, more unpleasant futures for Malideus.

When the realities collapse to a single point, with Malideus standing over the unconscious stranger, there is a shadow from the other possibilities the makes itself present. The stalker, the wielder of the katana, moving as a shadow among the shadows, to try and take Malideus in the back. It is this sense of space and time that has kept Malideus alive while hunting others afflicting with his Curse. Closing his eyes, letting the True Source guide his actions, Malideus pivots to face this new attacker, thankful that his companions struck true enough to slow the assailant down and give him a greater chance to defend himself.

The light springs alive in the cane once again as it spins in a wide arc up and back. A simple parry, yet it pits the attackers steel blade against the power of the True Source of All Souls.

--

Thousands of blue lights illuminate and fade like fireflys in an expanding cloud as steel clashes with the force. The Katana was no match for the blue weapon it faced and disintegrates upon impact. For a brief moment, Malideus is able to see the the face of the man who attacked him when their weapons flash upon contact. The moment is fleeting and darkness once again masks his image. A graveled voice hisses at the Telgossian while backing away and drawing curved daggers, "Selas Scum... I yield you the prize this time." Backing into the shadows from where he appeared, the assailant makes his escape.

Runa Se grabs the blater pistol thrown into the air, immediately flipping off the safety and leveling at anyone and everything that moves. Despite Sian giving her the weapon it now points in her direction. "Who are you!", she cries out. Runa tries to say more but stutters in the attempt. Again a hand wipes away tears from her face, more dirt becoming streaks of mud on her face. "No one up here helps me, why are you helping me!", she demands with regained vigor. Even as she demands answers she looks beyond the trio, her eyes resting upon the fallen men and women wearing Alda security uniforms.

--

he bright flare of light from Malideus' staff breaking the katana almost breaks Sian's concentration. She looks sharply his way, mouth tight. There will be questions later: so many questions. But soon enough, she realizes a blaster is being levelled in her direction.

Thankfully -- hopefully -- Runa's tears will keep her from having good aim should she decide to squeeze the trigger. But Sian is no diplomat. Not here, not now. She falls into a crouch, a knife in each hand: both held at the ready. To throw or to rush into melee. "Talk to us and you'll find out," she says in a low, careful voice.

The assailant turns to flee, and Malideus doesn't give chase. He watches as the individual runs, forcing himself to remember the glimpse of that face. He extinguishes the light from his cane and taps an odd rhythm onto the ground with it, an old memory trick he'd been sorely lacking after the loss of his previous staff.

Malideus is slow to respond to the exchange between Runa Se and Sian. He looks towards Kalden briefly, then turns in the direction of Runa Se.

"Enough!" Malideus shouts. "No more blasters. No more bloodshed. We will talk. Now." Malideus is no diplomat, either, but he remembers the wise words of one of Telgossian teachers: Whosever holds the greater stick shall inherit the power of the field. At the moment, the only one holding a stick of any sort was himself. He taps the cane on the ground once again for effect.

-

Kalden does not aim his pistol towards Runa in defense of Sian. She had made a calculation in throwing her pistol to the most wanted woman in the system and he had no intention of startling the woman into pulling the trigger. It is Malideus's words that command a change in his posture and sees that the Agent's pistol is slowly lowered in his holster.

Runa Se jumpes back when Malideus shouts, momentarily sweeping her pistol between the Telgossian and Sian. "Fine, speak!" she commands in return. The woman begins to back up while slowly sliding the pistol into her waistband. "Who are you.. and why did you help me. Seeking the bounty for yourselves in hopes that the masters might let you eat the scraps from their tables?" Runa continues to slowly back up, stumbling over a pipe on the ground but catching herself from falling on a piece of equipment. Her head darts behind her for a fraction of a second as she continues to back up. She would spare no more time than that looking away from these strangers.

---

Watching the woman as she backs and stumbles away, Sian straightens. She holds her blades still, but a bit looser. A frown pulls at her lips, twisting them into an expression of distaste. "Is this really the woman we want on our side? She doesn't look all that dangerous."

There's an arch sniff and the dark-haired woman straightens, rolling her shoulders back. "Is she really the criminal they say or is it one of those lovely... propoganda measures? Giving the masses a shared cause?" Speaking as if Runa Se weren't even there... if not for the way Sian were eying the woman.

The Selas lets his eyes drift over the the bodies in the Alda uniforms, then turns back to face Runa Se. He makes no move to stop her, though his eyes take in the different objects around her he might have to use to stop her if she decides to make a break for it.

Still watching Runa, he responds to Sian. "She is a leader of people and she knows some secret that they don't want her to share. She has stayed ahead of numerous bounty hunters, so it is more than propaganda. And she clearly mourns the loss of her crew. Give her a chance to speak, and you will find the weakness Lord Cato sent you to find."

--

Fire burned in Runa's eyes when Sian so callously dismisses her. For a fraction of a second her hand started to move for the pistol in her waist band until Malideus spoke. Her pause is unnaturaly long while thoughts race through her head. She goes over the words spoken, what she has seen until it finally clicks. Her demeanor changes from a caged animal ready to lash out to hysterical laughter muffled by a hand until the train of emotions once more land on sadness. Runa looks to Sian and speaks as dismissively in turn as she was spoken to before. "You have no idea what they are doing do you? You have no idea what is happening on the planet below?" Her gaze falls upon Malideus, a man she has only just met but feels that she can trust if even just for a little while. Just to not feel alone and hopelessly outnumbered. "Yes I am Runa Se and I'm the leader of the resistance...what's left of it." Once more she looks to the dead bodies behind them. Her tone sharpens as the flames of hope begin to return after such a devastating defeat, "An entire species enslaved, prisoners across the galaxy bought and shipped like cattle to work in the mines below. All so that these." Runa sweeps across the ceiling with an arm, pointing to Alda city above, "Can sit on their HIGH CHAIRS AND EAT LIKE FUCKING KINGS WHILE WE DIE DOWN THERE!" Runa stops, her chest heaving up down while she glares at the trio. Her tone softens once more, "Today was the day... we were going to steal a hyperspace capable ship and get the word out in the galaxy about what was happening here. That's their big secret.... Their entire operation is based upon enslaving an entire species whos only crime was being too gentle and naive to see it coming"

If Runa Se means insult, it doesn't seem to phase Sian. But then, the woman is trained in many things and dissembling is high on the list. It is, in fact, likely one of the first things they are taught at the Academy. Emotional control. It doesn't matter what you feel, get the job done. It doesn't matter what you feel, no one cares. It doesn't matter what you feel, it's only a distraction. Her expression remains placcid, relaxed.

However, as the 'Resistance leader' reaches the fever pitch of her diatribe, the dark-haired woman's eyes slip sidelong to regard Malideus. She has a suspicion as to how he will react to this news and she's not sure she likes it. Her hands tighten on her blades before she slips them away; letting them disappear back beneath her coat. A coat that is adjusted, to better hide the necklace that serves as a collar.

---

"Slavers," Malideus says, his voice cold. Instinctively, he reaches towards the True Source. As Sian suspects, the words of Runa Se inspire a violent response in Malideus. The urge to pull the resistance leader from the mud and elevate her, becoming part of her crusade to overthrow the corrupt slavers... but within the bubble of the True Source, those emotions become external. Manageable.

Even still, Malideus is who is he. "Runa Se," he says. "I am Malideus of the Wood, Selas of Telgosse, and I swear by my salvation in the embrace of the All-Mother that I will break the chains of the slaves. The slave holders will be shown only the same mercy they have given. You have my word on this."

The oath made, Malideus turns and looks at Kalden. As far as The Selas was concerned, The Agent had the information he sought. What happened next was up to him.

---

Kalden nods to Malideus. Words did not need to be exchanged. "Malideus is a man of his word", the Agent says plainly to Runa. "I can assure you that he will find his way back here." Kalden did have the answers he needed. On the planet below there was an army of slaves waiting to be armed against their masters. "It makes sense now. The ban on hyperspace capable craft planetside. All trade going through the moon. They've gone to great lengths to hide what they are doing. I cannot make the same promise as Malideus" The agent does not explain why, only states it as a matter of fact. "Is there a way to contact you if needed?"

Runa seems deeply relieved at the words delivered by Malideus. "Then, perhaps... today was not a total loss." The question of contacting Runa? "No... not directly." She removes a star pendant from her neck and tosses it to Malideus. "When you return, wear this over your clothes. I will know that you are here if you do." Runa looks around the room and sighs, "My men deserve better burials than they are going to get." The resistace leader heads for the exit, handing Sian her pistol back on the way. When she is exiting the room her voice calls back, "I will be watching for you Malideus of the Woods but I will not wait. I will rebuild and try again so long as i draw breath." She slips away to get back planetside before the bodies are found and her secret method of transport between planet and moon figured out by the real security force of Alda.

There is a tightening of Sian's jaw. The woman says nothing. She catches the blaster and holsters it, drawing her coat closed. The bodies littering the ground are considered. She moves over to one that appears it may be resistance and starts checking it over. "If we bring back evidence of some of her men," the woman says once she's sure Runa Se is out of earshot, "we can get ourselves in the good graces of the city administration. It can make our return in the future easier. If every other group that has hunted her down has turned up dead, it will be suspicious if we come back alive and well. But if we bring back evidence of facing her and claim she slipped through our fingers-" she straightens: either empty-handed or with some insignia or other means of identification in hand. "It will soften them to us."

-

Malideus looks at the Star Pendant a moment before slipping it in one of the pockets of his outer coat. It felt heavier than it should, perhaps because the weight of another person's freedom was bound up in it.

At Sian's suggestion, Malideus moves to one of the bodies and rips away one of the insignias. The body is just an empty shell once the soul is returned to the All Mother. It's best to return the body to the soil, but this wasn't the time or the place for such rituals.

Insignia in hand, Malideus returns to the place where the katana wielder attacked him. He kneels, searching the ground for pieces of the broken weapon. When he straightens, he's holding the hilt of the broken katana.

"Another group of bounty hunters attacked us after the fighting was done," Malideus says. "We defended ourselves. Runa Se escaped soon after." All true words, even if misleading. A cover story the Selas could stomach.

Returning to Sian, Malideus lowers his voice for her alone. "It is a small step from where you are to where the people of his planet dwell. This is not the time or place, but you should consider my words again, for they still apply to your situation."

Kalden listens to the plan and watches as the preparations unfold. "There's a flaw in your plan.", he says flatly. The Agent motions towards the unconcious bounty hunter on the floor, the one which Malideus went out of his way to spare. "When he comes to he may tell them that he was ambushed. Although he never saw our faces he had Runa cornered. If they believe him, it may raise questions as to how we managed to lose her without coming to harm ourselves." Kalden looks to Malideus. He knew that Sian would do what needed to be done without question. But the Telgossian. Was the life of one bounty hunter working to keep an entire planet enslaved worth more than those he intended to come back and free?

-

In the process of collecting the insignia, Sian stops by the man who is unconscious. She takes out one of her knives and kneels. It's a quick draw of the blade across his throat. Silent, as opposed to the sound of a blaster. Quick, too. She cleans the blade on his clothing before she straightens and sheaths the knife.

"Argue with me about it later," she tells Malideus carefully. Turning to the Telgossian, she considers him. "I was raised to serve. I know nothing else." And she turns, to begin heading back.

--

There was a moment during the charge when Malideus saw the man turn and kill him without mercy and without hesitation. It was an unlikely turn of events, a shadow of a reflection of reality that may have distorted the kind of man the stranger had been. And yet, in all of the visions Malideus suffered through, there was always a grain of truth. The man had been taunting someone after killing all of her men. Even without the perspective granted by the True Source, Malideus would have judged the man to be cruel and not worth saving.

Sian does the work that needs doing, and Malideus does not wince or shrink back from it. It was the only right and true answer, and even if the man had been a saint, Malideus would likely have gone through with ending his mortal life for the greater good. Death was not the greatest evil. Using the True Source to cause death... that was the greatest sin, and almost a certainty for those Cursed like him, which was why they all needed to die. Malideus brings a hand up to touch the vial strapped around his neck. He, too, needed to die, once the work was done.

"A clean kill," Malideus says to Sian. "Well done." He offers her the insignias and hilt he'd acquired. Whatever else they might have to say about her position, it could wait for another day.

Before the trio leaves, Malideus stops a moment amongst the dead, and looks up to the sky. He knew in his bones, not through any mystical connection, not from any sort of training or hard-won experience, but perhaps through faith... that this was the start of something bigger than him. Bigger than the three of them. Perhaps bigger than the planet, the moon, the slaves and their slavers. Bodies lay in the dirt, wept for only by a leader in exile. Agents of The Regency marched along, serving multiple masters while tiptoeing through plots and traps laid by other men. Something bigger was stirring, starting from this place, started with the death of these men, and perhaps reaching out beyond the stars Malideus could see.

Cane in hand, Malideus continues after Kalden and Sian. The work of the Bounty Hunter was done. It was time to move on.