Fantasy Riptide

[Lyro]

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[/div][div class=title]Verillis[/div] [div class=mentions]Mentioned: Everyone[/div] [/div][/div]There was a storm brewing outside. The occupants of the small space station's second-biggest conference room could see it gathering strength just beyond the room's large, reinforced bay windows. All incoming ships were being diverted away from the visual distortion that was growing in size and intensity by the second, as contradicting laws fought it out for dominance.

"Do not worry, we are safe here, blessings to Mizen," came the soft, sibilant voice of the tiefling representative from where he sat at the ring table. "The weather is always bad so close to the border around this time of year. Something to do with an old rivalry, I am told." His gaze lingered on the perturbation for a moment longer before he went back to scanning the text on his tablet. He was short for a tiefling, and, at least to Verillis's eyes, a little portly. He made an odd contrast to the imposing nearby figures, sporting all the hallmarks of the pencil-pushing bureaucrat. "In any case, I think I have said all that needed to be said. Naturally, this meeting never happened, we will disavow any connection with you if confronted, etc., etc.. You will be searched for recording devices or enchantments a second time on your way out. If you have worked with us before, you will know the procedure."

The man got up and paced to the side of the room, still holding his tablet in hand, which he plugged into a cable hanging from the ceiling. Several lights turned on as a formless hologram began to fade in above the center of the table, before resolving into a blue sphere ringed by the circling words "Source Not Found." "Oh, for the love of..." the tiefling muttered as he grabbed a nearby remote and tried pressing several buttons. "It was working this morning."

"You need to press the--", chimed in Verillis helpfully. "I know which button to press!" the tiefling hissed back, as he continued to fiddle with the remote. Finally, he seemed to press the right combination, the hologram flickered and transformed into a 3D map of Isyn, complete with glowing depictions of its skyward scarring. A button press on his tablet added several multi-colored dots in orbit around the planet. "Right," resumed the representative. "Isyn. We're approaching the eighth year since the Commonwealth declared war on Onnedias, and three months since the target was excavated. So getting in and out won't be easy. But there are ways."

He pressed another button and several points were highlighted on the surface of the planet. "Deals have been made at the highest level to allow some traffic to continue flowing. Academics and researchers for one, particularly archaeologists, though these require pretty strong credentials, and some of you may have..." He glanced at a few of the more imposing mercenaries before returning his gaze to the hologram. "... difficulty passing off as academics. But an option nonetheless. There is also still a booming market for tourism to see the Aureate Skies, much of which is actually illegal and thus easier to infiltrate. Of course, we can always try to obtain a special permit if you can procure a ship for yourselves, but you'll be under much closer scrutiny then."

"So." He looked up at the assembled group, letting his eyes linger briefly on all of them. "Questions? Ideas?"

 

[Sir Swigglesworth]

Vincent was sitting in among this congregation of mercenaries from around the system. Some looking imposing such as he, others looking to play the more intellectual role and supportive type. They would certainly be just as needed as a solid fighter such as himself would. Calmly, the man twirled their blade in his hands with precision effort as they listened in on the tiefling brief them all in the situation. It was an amusing sight however to watch the man fumble with the hologram before a gnome chipped in only to be cut off once again. Regardless, the man focused their attention on the tiefling's words as they explained there was a way for those with the proper credentials to have access to the planets surface. "Well I'm certainly not one of those men...", Vincent thought to themselves as they continued to listen in on the tiefling's briefing.

One the man was done speaking however, Vincent had an idea come to life in his head so they knocked on the wall harshly and spoke their own two cents. "I've got an idea," he said as they turned their attention towards the tiefling representative. "Quoting what you said earlier about some of not having the credentials to enter Iysn by normal means, I'm assuming you have knowledge of someone or some people in here that do correct?" He spoke with a loud voice, their suits audio outputs giving a faint distortion to his voice as they spoke. "If such is the case, well then I have idea. It's got potential risks as all ideas might but it's also got a reasonably good chance to work I'd say. Everyone else here have anything else to say before I go through the explaining process?" Vincent said with their focus being put upon everyone in the room.

 

[Ganymede Apathy]

Pax was as serious as any mercenary secretly hired by a large organization in the middle of the war. On the outside, at the least. On the inside, he was a storm of his own, different emotions swirling in an endless cloud. Part of him felt excited, another nervous, and the other contemplating if he should've accepted. He ignored the man as to get his own question in. "As an engineer, I'd like to know if you would fund any particular projects that I may begin my work on. I'd keep it to where they only further benefit our group as a whole." Team was an awkward word. These people were very different and he didn't understand them, and he didn't feel comfortable with things he didn't understand. As an innovator, though, he must learn. Everything that makes them tic and beep, everything that makes them worthy of being hired by such an organization. Everything that makes them... them. That doesn't make it any easier. What he needs in these situations is shelter. A place of solitude where he can be himself. He also needed to get to work inventing. He needed to be able to get some basic income. Who knows when he'll need to bribe a soldier or merchant.

 

[Tardy Grade]

"Pffft... figures," Pane pointed out helpfully by clicking his tongue as the other Tiefling began having trouble with his tech. You'd never see that happen to a book. When's the last time you heard of a book 'failing to operate'? That's right! Never! An impeccable, one-hundred percent success rate and they'd been replaced by ... this? Fancy shows of light and sound. Tricks and knick-knacks, toys and brickerbracks! While the problem was being 'dealt with', he did a casual sweep of the room to make a note of its occupants.

...Quite literally he'd be adding little notes about them to his book as the rest of 'this' played out...

As to 'why' he chose to do so casually was not out of some case of stealthy data collection, rather because in his mind Friest detested excessive movements unless justified. This had never been much of a problem back in his little hermit's cr- hut... but having returned to the 'community-at-large' he'd been forced many times to move his body without his intent. Music was the worst. The thing practically seduced you into movement. Vile temptress.

Just this time alone, on the trip here, security got involved on the first Loreh ship he'd boarded to come to this over-fared hunk of junk. Apparently, he sat on the wrong seat. But he would not relinquish the seat upon having sat. No matter what the rosy-cheeked guard did he would not budge after having parked his derriere. Needless to say this also meant he posed no resistance as they dragged his ass off the ship and had him reapply for a second one.

His reverie was interrupted though as the presentation had come to a questioning phase and he had no idea what had just been discussed. Luckily the wisdom of Friest was there to guide him. 'When in doubt, don't be the odd one out'. So he just took on the same pensive and thoughtful look some of the others had adopted and waited fo-

Ah! A grey-haired human had chimed in first. Then a gnome. Carrot-topped fella. He decided to note them down as 'helpful' for helping him guess what had just been asked of them. And their hair colours of course. Note to self: Ask them their names...

Raising his voice a bit he began, "Pane, here." with a raise of his hand to clarify he was referring to himself and not hurt.

"If I may interject... we can always sneak in under the guise of relief efforts. Us more 'sophisticated' looking individuals can play the part of the ... humana-tief-gnomatarians ... and the others can be hired guards. Merc credentials becoming a merit instead of demerit. That way there will be a bit of embellishment based on truths. Like any good story would. Al-" but then he stopped speaking and just began to stare awkwardly at their Tiefling host upon recalling Friest's opinion on long-winded chatter. Close one!

'Heheheh... almost made a fool of myself,' thought Pane to himself as he began a creepy smile towards the portly tiefling.

 

[Lexielai]

[div class=wrapper][div class=box][div class="boxBg boxBgLarge"][/div][div class="boxBg boxBgTall"][/div][div class="boxBg boxBgMedium"][/div][div class=boxInner][div class=statusBox][div class=characterPortrait][/div][div class=statusText]Sobriety: Sober
Tags: Sir Swigglesworth Ganymede Apathy Tardy Grade Lyro [/div][/div][div class=title]Jayla "Jay" Dawnstrider[/div][div class=text]Jay had waited near the corner of the room for the majority of the presentation. Her back was pressed up against the wall and her arms were crossed, while she pointedly ignored the two military guards positioned closely beside her. She instead observed the mercenaries gathered here by Tiffrel. They were an eclectic bunch, as usual. It was no surprise; these sorts of operations were concerned less with disciplined teams of well-behaved personnel than with groups of individuals you could rely on to be bound by their mutual greed.

Or, in her case, be bound by the shock implant embedded into the back of her neck to ensure her “cooperation” with this endeavor. The more she thought about it, the more Jay felt an urge to scratch at it. Tear it out. She resisted it for the time being, and occupied herself with a sidelong glance at the nearby guard. The implant’s control was attached to his belt, and nearby it was his gun. He caught her gaze and gave her a stern look. Jay gave him her best impression of an innocent smile, and returned her eyes to the gathering to examine the proceedings.

One of the mercenaries stepped forward. It was a man in suited armor, who she had noticed earlier had been playing with his knife. Despite his clear flashiness, which was usually a sign of cockiness, his movements were tightly controlled. He clearly had the skill to back up his confidence—well, he believed so at least. Jay mentally noted to herself to not assume anything about him just yet.

Then another spoke up. A familiar face. “Pax, you know I’m always willing to do business,” she called out from behind the main congregation. She excused herself from her escorts company and stepped forward. She watched another mercenary, a tiefling, begin to ramble as she approached, but as she deciphered his meaning, she began to decide that he had a point.

Her attention drifted towards the armored man. She stood much shorter than he did, and was much less imposing. Where he had his armor, she had a dirty blue tank top and stained cargo pants, neither of which had been washed recently. The horrible outfit was part of the tragedy of just getting out of prison. Her lazy walk didn’t help. “Seems someone likes to be in charge,” she teased dryly. “Come on, just say it already. I could say that we could pull an elaborate ruse like the tiefling suggested. Or that maybe it would be perfectly sensible to hide in plain sight and come in on a cargo transport. Maybe we could even board their station and alter their records to give us free passage. But we all know you’re just half-listening, dying to explain your grand plan—which, by the way, we are under no obligation to follow if we don’t like it. So make it good, hmmm?”

She affectionately ruffled Pax’s hair as she stepped beside him. Her eyes, framed by her disheveled snow-white hair, leveled towards the man with an interest in his reaction to her pointed remarks.[/div][/div][/div][/div] [class=wrapper]background-color:#2d1414;box-sizing:border-box;color:#FFFFFF;display:inline-block; position:relative;width:100%; text-align: justify;[/class] [class=title]animation:{post_id}glow 1.5s linear infinite alternate;color:#f3c662;font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:3em;font-style:italic;padding:0;text-shadow:0 0 1em;margin-bottom: 10px;[/class] [class=box]margin:2em 1em;padding:2px 4px 0px;position:relative;[/class] [class=boxBg]box-sizing:content-box;height:100%;pointer-events:none;position:absolute;width:100%;[/class][class=boxBgLarge]top:0;left:-5px;padding:0 4px;border:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,.35);[/class] [class=boxBgTall]top:-8px;left:3px;padding:8px 0;width:calc(100% - 8px);height:100%;border:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,.25);[/class] [class=boxBgMedium]top:-4px;left:-1px;padding:4px 0;border:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,.4);[/class] [class=boxInner]background-color:#2d1414;overflow:hidden;margin:0.5em;[/class] [class=statusBox]box-sizing: border-box; border-right: 3px dotted white; padding: 15px; float: left; max-width: 250px; margin: 0px 15px 15px 0px;[/class] [class=text]padding: 15px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:0.9em;[/class] [class=statusText]font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:0.9em; margin-top: 5px;[/class] [class=portrait]box-shadow:0 0 0.5em #6a3131;max-width:250px;width:calc(100% - 2.5em);[/class] [class=characterPortrait]box-sizing: border-box;[/class] [class name=characterPortrait state=hover]opacity: 0.5[/class] [class name=characterPortrait state=click][/class]

 

[Ganymede Apathy]

Interactions: Tardy Grade Lexielai
Pax, in response to the queer man, squinted his eyes in confusion. "Pane, while that is a start, the plan of hiding within plain sight is an... awkward situation. The potential risk of security catching us, in a-... Hold on, where are we going, and how defensible is it?" He said, probably making him seem more slow than he really is.
Pax smiled at the girl, and rolled his eyes, reaching up to fix his hair. "Yes, yes, I know. I bring the good stuff, you get the money. The whole situation is obvious. But considering how they've already got us hired, I wanna know if they can attend to our particular needs. They'd have to be prepared for something like that. They have to be prepared for everything, hence why that guard is giving you the eye." He whispered the last several words, jabbing his thumb at the guard. He ruffled his metallic wings, the absence of feeling on his back getting a little... lonely. The silent clink of metal to metal soothes him, letting him know things are working. He could feel the stream rippling through his body, potentially powering his wings.

 

[Fletchawk]

[div class=statusBox][div class=characterPortrait][/div][div class=statusText]Groth Roo'ken
Location: A neutral station in remote space on the border of Mizen and Loreh
Tags: [/div][/div]
Groth had been standing with his arms crossed, with such a stillness, one could of mistaken him for a paused hologram, at the far side of the room as there were no Troll-sized seats and he didn't feel confident in the smaller ones. Having been among the first to arrive, the rather large Orc felt the need to stretch a bit and crack his neck before proposing his idea. The civilian clothing was tight and even though it wouldn't tear easily, it still felt constricting.

"If there is a market for illegal tourism, how do they get on the planet? Why not just enter the same way they do? There's obviously a system in place and it's big enough to be known outside it's local influence, so it shouldn't be too hard to find if we have the right contacts. I don't have such contacts, but someone here may." Groth always found it easy to disguise his tone of contempt with his low gravelly voice. Personally, he would of just found a large piece of space junk, have it dropped in the planet's gravitational field, and hitch a ride with his exo suit. This however wouldn't work for such a large group.
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[Sir Swigglesworth]

[div class=wrapper][div class=box][div class="boxBg boxBgLarge"][/div][div class="boxBg boxBgTall"][/div][div class="boxBg boxBgMedium"][/div][div class=boxInner][div class=statusBox][div class=characterPortrait][/div][div class=statusText]Location: Space Station in orbit of Isyn
Tags: Lyro Tardy Grade Ganymede Apathy Lexielai Fletchawk
Mood: Your guess is as good as mine. [/div][/div][div class=title]Vincent "Shade" Lacroia[/div][div class=text][/div]
Vincent's attention was brought to the speech of a short woman talking directly to him. Her manner of speech and tone of voice towards the man was less then appealing. Vincent shot a harsh glare directed towards the woman from beneath his suit and by the time she was done he was in a rather sour mood. But before he could speak up others began speaking and so they opted to patiently sit and listened.

Once the orc spoke up about the illegal tourism Vincent took their opportunity to speak once again after the ginger and orc had both exclaimed their thoughts on the situation. His first order of action was referring back to the girl who had spoke to him moments ago. "Alright first off you stuck up princess bitch, it's best to watch your tongue before you risk losing it," Vincent cut in harshly, his tone less than happy. "I'm not taking charge, I just have an idea like everyone else here does and I'd like to put it out for thought. I actually prefer to work alone, people like you being of the reasons. Now it'd be a grand idea to attempt being more kind towards the people you might just have to rely on yeah?" Vincent spoke in a clearly impatient and subtly fierce tone before perking up once again and reviving the original conversation with an enthusiastic tone that suggested he hadn't even spoken how he just had all but a few seconds ago and that he had suddenly disregarded their bitter thoughts.

"Anyways, she was however partly correct in theorizing what my plan existed of a few minutes ago. If we can get possession of a ship, specifically a small vessel, those of you who have the credentials to enter Isyn would have access to enter the planet freely. Now that's where I would come in, taking advantage of my cloaking system I can hitch a ride on the ship undetected and covertly enter the station on Isyn. Regarding our remaining ships though, in order to get them registered I'll need the proper information from all of you, but once I get onto the planet and infiltrate the facility I'll be able to gain access to their registration systems and get our ships approved. It's a high risk yet high reward sort of operation, we could either spend an incessant amount time on our asses concocting some elaborate ruse, and or use an illegal tour route and constantly be at risk on the surface. It's up for debate but that's what I currently have to throw on the table. Anyone else have other ideas or suggestions to get onto the planet that we haven't brought up yet?" During his whole explanation of their plan, it was clear that he was an experienced public speaker, using body language, tone shifts, "eye contact" and other subtle practices to really put in a good vibe.
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[Jeda Teq]

Arx stood at parade rest as they were briefed on the situation. He couldn't help but ponder the incompetence of the man giving it. Arx saw the man to be easily frustrated and a person who held himself higher than position warranted. The ladder observation could be the source of the first. Arx head snapped to each individual who spoke up and gave ideas about their infiltration of the planet. All had a major issue, time. The republic was not the only entity vying for the needle. Other factions were sure to be putting together a similar team. Teams with better equipment and training. The factions who already laid claim to the planet were at the greatest advantage. Arx had a different plan. One that could get them closer to the excavation site.

"Each of your plans have their own merits. I congratulate you on your ideas. However," He snapped to attention then walked towards the holographic world map of Islyn, "Any attempts to enter the planet with a small to large ship will be lead to docking stations." He pointed out the hangers and landing sites for the planet. "Our objective is here. As you can see the excavation site is quite some ways from anywhere we can touch down at with a ship. Even if we do we'll have to procure a mode of ground transportation. Doing so will waste vital time. Others are already on the move. I suggest we use an escape pod to breach security and touch down near the site. It will be mistaken as debris from war or a shooting star. From there we can head to the objective." The soldier marched back to where he originally stood and popped into parade rest after an about face. "With limited support it's important to realize that acquiring the objective is our primary goal. After it is in our custody we can find our way off the planet."

 

[fluticasone]

Asya sat quietly on the table, the combination of her environment and the tension in the room making her sick. It was enough of a shock to sit in a station where there was so little mana; now she had to listen to them hash it out with what might as well be fists with all the finesse they were using. The tiefling didn't look like he would take charge any time soon, content to let blood run if it happened. The fairy couldn't blame him; considering how the man beside her was playing with his knife only a minute ago while others continued unperturbed, they were not a crowd for the faint of heart. Specifically, not for her. The fact he spoke well did nothing to settle the unease in her. She wondered if she could get away with changing seats unnoticed. Somehow, she doubted it. The gazes of some reminded her all too well of Qillin's guards; they saw everything despite how they looked.

Her wings flapped nervously as the one clad in navy blue passed by her left, but he did nothing of concern. She had to agree with his statement. While not everyone wanted to steal away the needle, they wanted control over it. Case in point, the Commonwealth had sent her so that they could be one step ahead of Tiffrel, while also getting a feel for the groundwork on Isyn. She stood, allowing the Stream to flow through her and into her wings. At this level, it allowed her everyone to comfortably meet her gaze. Years of training under Qillin's scrutiny allowed her some measure of confidence in speaking, but she still felt her throat tighten as she began to talk.

"I would have to disagree with that plan." She waited for someone to contest her. When no one interrupted, she continued. "I'm not very well versed in war tactics, but I have no doubt the excavation area will be guarded against flight attempts. They likely have orders to shoot down anything that comes down within its perimeter. Disguise is our best chance I believe."

 

[Hercynia]

Kaloy, facade-less, had been observing the others from his seat - a position of relative comfort - vaguely amused at the goings-on, and far more amused at the people gathered together by their employers. It would appear that the recruiting process hadn't been particularly discriminatory in terms of race or physicality. To his right, stood what he perceived as a military man - stiff, by the book, standing. Other species were dotted around the table - another elf stood between two guards opposite him, ruffling a redhead gnome's hair - she'd been just yelled at by a human. A... pixie? Fairy? had just started speaking as she floated to his right - disagreeing with the military man that stood between them.

Turning, the elf glanced at their employer - well, likely a representative from their employers. It was obvious that the tiefling wasn't particularly comfortable - first technology troubles, now lingering glances. And they had no entrance strategy - and probably no extraction one either.

No, it was clear that they were not going to have much support in this endeavour. Still, could be worth a try to get some resources at the very least.

So far it had seemed like a lot of ideas had been thrown around, but... with little success. The soldier's strategy was - in Kaloy's opinion - stupid. Being mistaken as debris? Unlikely. The angry human who'd been quietly yelling at the other elf clearly put a lot of faith in his own abilities, and if there were no repercussions Kaloy would have been glad to be rid of him - but if one of them was caught, security would likely tighten. And giving up "proper information" to the man sounded like a... poor idea. An orc that looked very disgruntled had suggested using the illegal tourism market - a good suggestion, but... conspicuous, with this crowd. He doubted half of them could pass for convincing tourists if they tried. As far as Kaloy was concerned, the best idea he'd heard had come from the... odd other tiefling in the room. He'd said his name was... Pain? Payn? Pane?

"If I may...?" The white-haired elf started, leaning forward a little glancing around at the assorted mercenaries. "I'm inclined to agree with... Pain, was it? Hiding in plain sight will probably work better than heroics, lone wolfing, or by passing off as tourists. If I could add to that..." Kaloy turned to the uncomfortable tiefling representative of their employer. "Would it be out of the question to provide us with a ship? Presumably many need to bring equipment down to the surface, and it would be... easier to smuggle in this way."

 

[Lyro]

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[/div][div class=title]Verillis[/div] [div class=mentions]Mentioned: C.DEX C.DEX C.DEX C.DEX C.DEX C.DEX C.DEX C.DEX [/div] [/div][/div]

..

The room and its occupants had already managed to lose Verillis's attention. He leaned back in his chair, silently bemoaning the fact that his feet were too high to reach the ground. Whoever had designed this place had a clear bias towards taller folk. With all the money that had been lavished on the room's furnishings - the table in particular was a sumptuous marriage of technology and design - you'd think they could at least afford several different chair sizes. Surely his fellow gnome and the fairy who had ultimately resorted to sitting on the table thought the same.

They were all arguing about the plan now. Verillis closed his eyes and decided to let them talk it out - he'd roll with the action whichever way it went. He trusted in Sillis far more than these people, after all. Not that they seemed all bad, from what little he had seen of them. The gnome obviously did little to dispel their race's stereotype, but at least he seemed like he'd be cooperative. Sadly he couldn't say the same about the human assassin or the female elf - he had no doubt they were good at what they did, but he was equally certain they wouldn't play nice together. Perhaps that was still preferable to the visibly deranged tiefling, though his plan wasn't the worst he'd heard so far. The orc and the other human seemed to have military training - no telling yet whether that would be an advantage or not. The fairy seemed almost comically out of place in her clothing, but he had seen her species fight before and knew appearances could be deceiving. And as for the male elf, well, he would reserve judgment until he said more; at least he seemed polite.

The tiefling emissary at last seemed relieved to be asked a question directly, having tried to get a word in several times already. "We can arrange for the funding of mission-critical equipment, certainly, though you will have to convince us of its value," he replied with a quick look at Pax as he spoke the last part. "We can also provide you with a ship, thanks to the generous patronage of one of our chief executives, but in order to avoid raising red flags it will have to be limited in size and importance."

"As for contacts, we have a few in orbit around Isyn, fewer still on its surface." Several glowing gold dots appeared around the globe, scattered all over the planet. "If you think you can pull it off, we can get you in touch with a so-called 'ferryman' who claims to be able to smuggle you on to the planet. The details of this underground network elude us, however. Still, we would strongly caution against landing anywhere near the target - that area has been on high alert for a while now, and they will not hesitate to shoot down any suspicious object, both from space and from the ground. Time is of the essence, yes, but not so much that we ask you to be reckless. If you can find a longer, safer route over land, take it."

"Would be nice to get it done before the weather changes eighteen days from now," interjected Verillis with his eyes still closed. "I hear Mizen/Sillis storms aren't pleasant."

"Erm, yes. You would know," the tiefling replied with an annoyed glance at the meteorologist. "Additionally, we are not keen on splitting you up. We have reasons to suspect some of you may have..." He paused for effect, making Verillis roll his eyes beneath his eyelids. "... conflicting loyalties. The board strongly feels it is best if you remain as one group. Two, at most, if absolutely necessary, and only for limited periods of time. I am sure you understand."

 

[C.DEX]

Jeune sat quietly against the wall at the back of the room. Her appearance was dissheveled at best, with wispy dark hair trailing around the sunglasses that sat on the tip of her nose. She was a dark-skinned thing, a little shorter than most elves but with signature pointed ears. Orange-red flecks peeked out from behind her sunglasses, peering mildly at everyone as they bickered and talked. All the while, a grin sat on her features, her hands clutching something in her hoodie pockets. Unlike some of them, she hadn't been trying to put off an air of competency (by playing with weapons or otherwise).

Her eyes flitted to an armored human; he had insisted that everyone be quiet to hear his plan. Funnily enough, he had been spurned almost instantly by a woman in the back with terrible fashion sense. He responded with absolute insanity, and the small lapse of silence that had filled the air after he was done threatening his teammates for possibly the smallest perceived slight in mission-planning history had been filled with Jeune whistling. That man had rubbed her wrong. Not only could he not handle being told off without resorting to threats, his plan had been dependent on everyone trusting him to do take their identities as he ... what? Went off on a solo mission?

"That sounds like something my bank wouldn't like." Jeune said to Vincent, a smile still on her face. Despite what she was sure he thought, nothing even resembling a sane public speaker had come out of the armored human. She opened her ears to the others.

Arx's plan had been ... initially good-sounding. Of course, the others had shot it down quickly. It would certainly be too easy to just pod themselves in, but getting out and not getting shot down was an issue. The orc had brought up the idea of coming in illegally, but that seemed to put them in as much danger as any other common criminal. Pane had suggested they pretend to be a part of a relief effort; Jay had suggested they go in with cargo and forge identities. Most of their plans had seemed convoluted, including the one that Vincent had put out.

Jeune raised her hand for a moment after everyone had spoken their piece.

"Third vote here for pretending to be refugee relief. I can pull off a mean sexy nurse. Aaand I don't feel like getting my identity stolen by Mr. Feelings." she said, grinning toward Vincent. "If I had to vote for a second that wasn't totally convoluted, probably coming in on the illegal choo choo train is my second bet, but it'd probably be my luck that we get stopped for something stupid if that's the case. Cops love to pull me over. I call it, 'driving while purple'."

 

[Ganymede Apathy]

Pax threw his hands up. "Good bye, I don't wanna be here." He left the room, then the building. He found the exit and casually gets eaten by some maniacal cannibal.

 

[Emibow]

Lilly was grudgingly sitting near the fairy as everything was going down. To her, everything was just, "argue, argue, argue," so until a plan was made, she was making some adjustments to her boots propulsion systems. If her math is correct, she will gain a stronger initial thrust into the air while significantly less fuel. Personally, she didn't care how things will go, as long as she gets paid and has someone to cling onto, she will have no complaints."Make that another vote for refugee relief. I know my kind isn't welcome in most parts of the planet, so if someone doesn't mind, i'd like to hitch a ride in someone's stuff." She was partially reading from her display's notes over her eye. There was no way she would remember that normally. "Before we leave though, if I am provided the right materials, I can create a couple devices to get us out of "jams,"" she grinned widely. It's unlikely that anyone would actually listen and hear her quiet voice, but it was a good attempt.

 

[Tardy Grade]

Pane had been scribbling little caricat- making notes. Ahem. Detailed notes about all his soon to be comrades so as to commemorate their historic union. No doubt some of them would die. Horrible deaths. Hopefully, he'll live long enough to tell others about them. It'd be a shame if these tales went untold...

Oh, they're talking about me! I better look up.

Sheepishly he lifted his eyes from his book and studied the atmosphere of the room. Everyone had moved to either takes seats or change positions while he'd buried his nose in his book.

"Um... weren't there more of us?" he asked raising a charcoal ingot-wielding hand. The highly compressed block was of an interesting chemical composition.Though impractical compared to the technology available now it would only bind to paper. Making a deca-layered molecular matrix that would not be smudged or removed from the paper by any means that wouldn't destroy the paper itself. Even then the letters would likely stay intact and in perfect alignment until disturbed. Like an overlapping tower of letters.

After the wingless Pixie also said her part her realised that they'd agreed to his 'relief' effort plan. Did he even make one? There was a faint memory of speaking upon entering the room... Well, the people gathered seemed to agree that it was their best bet as of now so he must have done a good job! Yay!

A wide toothy grin broke on his face before he stood up and took a more poised stance. He smoothed his hair and got out of his chair. Luckily it could swivel so he did a smooth 180 and faced his back to them as began to further elaborate.

"Well if this is going to work we're going to need to assign roles! Medics! Someone wanted to be a nurse, right? Well, that's perfect! Food distribution and cargo watch! Mercs! Me! And our pilot can be one assigned to fly a ship that would support our claims. Nothing too fancy. You'll need to give us rations of course. Enough basic stuff that we can hide more important material in there. Like books. Lots of books. In fact, I'll need all the books you have!" he said with a grave seriousness.

"So get that woman a uniform! Get this pixie her doohickies and get m- us those books, man! Class dismissed!" and then Pane stood in front of the corner with the far larger bloke looking most pleased with his day thus far. Hopefully, Loreh would be pleased with his performance and not make him listen to Kray-Prop music on their ride again.

 

[Jeda Teq]

The fairy made a point. However Arx expected there to be casualties. As long as the mission was completed it didn't matter. Even though he didn't train with the Brx series he was confident he could make his plan work; however it requires teamwork and no-one seemed too keen on his plan. If they we're his brothers he would reprimand them for being cowards.

"Using the guise as a relief aide for subterfuge does appear to be the only plan we have so far that has the best potential to avoid unwanted attention. We can all agree to that, " He spoke assuming everyone would agree, "but your request for books is ridiculous. There is no need for literature on the front lines."

 

[fluticasone]

The tiefling's comment about conflicting loyalties had not gone unnoticed. Though outwardly she gave no sign of being affected, she knew she had to take care when contacting the Commonwealth. While she had no personal allegiance to their government, Asya doubted that would save her skin when push came to shove. Her freedom from Qillin wasn't worth her life. If it was, then she'd rather have stayed in the Tyranny.

She followed each voice as they spoke, the latter statement of the nearby pixie snagging her attention. Her gaze finally settled on the Tiefling as he took charge in a rather roundabout way. It relieved her to see that everyone had more or less agreed on a plan; that went faster than a lot of the decision-making that went on at ho- in Qillin's court. It was still a bit strange to think of what had been her anchor for so long as an enemy. She found his request for books a bit strange, considering the almost reverent way he spoke of them. Apparently she was not the only one thought so, as the man to her left vehemently disagreed. The reasoning why they found it weird contrasted, however. As a linguist, she appreciated writing and how it contributed to her learning. But she could also understand why it would be at the bottom of their cargo priorities in their current situation.

The fairy chose to ignore the argument, lest they waste time debating the issue. They could duke it out between them; she could use magic to store the books she wanted for future reading if needed. "Then I'll remain as is if we will pursue the relief effort route. It would not be out of place to have a translator aboard such a ship, but I am not averse to changing my role as required." She shrugged to show her amicability regarding her position. It was a small thing in the long run.

 

[Fletchawk]

[div class=statusBox][div class=characterPortrait][/div][div class=statusText]Groth Roo'ken
Location: A neutral station in remote space on the border of Mizen and Loreh
Tags: Lyro fluticasone C.DEX Tardy Grade Jeda Teq Emibow Hercynia Sir Swigglesworth Lexielai Emmi
[/div][/div]
Having been listening to the group come to a majority consensus from the corner, Groth didn't feel the need to make himself heard. His suggestion had merely been a substitute for a his usual strategies. Most were designed around being alone or a small group of similar skill sets to his. Skill sets that not everyone in this group shared although some did. He could tell by the way they moved or their mannerisms, at least what they were presenting at the time. For example, the female with the heavily armed guards watching her every move closely, didn't seem inherently dangerous at first glance but her movements were too short and controlled compared to the even the most hardened criminal. There was a vague familiarity to it, but he couldn't place it.

His thoughts shifted when the odd tiefling came closer to him. The man's movements were erratic and there was something off about him and the way he spoke. Something about him rubbed Groth the wrong way. Then again, everyone here except the guards left a bad taste in his mouth. The only reason he was even here was to complete his trial. For now, he'd have to play along. "I suppose I'll keep my current role as well and play the security or perhaps an orderly if need be." Groth nodded towards the fairy to acknowledge her input. The fairy's presence also bothered him, as they were usually either spies or defectors from his experience. A spy would be the most likely scenario given the nature of their mission. Curious to see what information they would volunteer, he initiated an introduction as he walked past the Tiefling and leaned over and put his hands on the table next to the elf playing with his blade.

"On that note, I am 'Rook' and it would seem as though I will be your muscle. Though I would prefer to avoid conflict during this endeavor." Though he was truthful about wanting to avoid conflict, it was because he'd rather not use his exo suit or magic which would possibly give away his true affiliation. Of which didn't look like it would be well received by his current company. Groth brought his eyes to bare on the holographic map in the center of the room to take note of any information he could, all while listening to the people in the room.
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[Lexielai]

[div class=wrapper][div class=box][div class="boxBg boxBgLarge"][/div][div class="boxBg boxBgTall"][/div][div class="boxBg boxBgMedium"][/div][div class=boxInner][div class=statusBox][div class=characterPortrait][/div][div class=statusText]Sobriety: Sober (Regretfully)
Tags: N/A[/div][/div][div class=title]Jayla "Jay" Dawnstrider[/div][div class=text]Jay maintained a neutral expression as her target exploded with rage, only to resume his amicable demeanor a moment later. She gave him a small smile once he finished, and leaned back to rest against the wall once again.

The armored man had, knowingly or not, given her a small gift of information on a plate. He was volatile, and easily set off. His quick recovery suggested some measure of self control, but his explosive outburst equally suggested that his hot-headedness was stronger; otherwise he would have been able to keep it in.

There was also an intensity to his rebuke that would have normally been unwarranted for the situation. This told her that he either lacked the self-confidence to accept criticisms and lashed out when challenged, or that he was unfamiliar with social norms. In the latter case, her subsequent conclusion was that he was used to an isolated environment, or he came from a much more extreme culture.

From his brutal precision and aggressive mannerisms, she was able to hypothesize that he likely came from a strong raider or violent mercenary background. Her line of work made her used to their kind. Power was everything to them, and every moment an opportunity for betrayal. You had to become a little...unstable, to survive.

Jay was able to confirm her suspicions and form her analyses within a couple seconds of the armored man’s response. Pleased that she was able to coax out the information, and more importantly, show the same thing to everyone else, she was content to sit back as a spectator for the rest of the meeting.

There were a few interesting faces within the crowd. A gnome with a amicable smile who rang alarm bells in her head when she looked at him. An orc who eyed her a little too closely for her liking; she slowly resumed her surly slouch and bored look to show him what he should have expected to see. A lunar elf, who elicited some of Jay’s curiosity for merely being an unexpected race; she mostly saw high elves and solar elves like herself, so the lunar elf was a novel sight. There was also a distracted tiefling, who seemed to be raving mad. She could sympathize with that, she thought, bemused by his ramblings. And two fairies and a human, all three of whom could have formed a triangle of opposites.

Jay sneaked a glance at the gun of the guard beside her once more. He noticed a moment later, apparently taken by the distracting argument going on beside them. He shot her a dirty look once again.

“Say, have you got anything strong around here? Pixie tequila, trodka, void gin? I’m getting really thirsty, and I could use a drink,” she said softly, and with an innocent tone. [/div][div class=text][/div][/div][/div][/div] [class=wrapper] background-color:#1B1515; box-sizing:border-box; color:#FFFFFF; display:inline-block; position:relative; width:100%; text-align: justify; [/class] [class=title] color: #f3c662; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size:3em; font-style:italic; padding:0; text-shadow:0 0 1em; margin-bottom: 10px; [/class] [class=box] margin:2em 1em; padding:2px 4px 0px; position:relative; [/class] [class=boxBg] box-sizing:content-box; height:100%; pointer-events:none; position:absolute; width:100%; [/class] [class=boxBgLarge] top:0; left:-5px; padding:0 4px; border:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,.35); [/class] [class=boxBgTall] top:-8px;left:3px; padding:8px 0; width:calc(100% - 8px); height:100%; border:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,.25); [/class] [class=boxBgMedium] top:-4px; left:-1px; padding:4px 0; border:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,.4); [/class] [class=boxInner] background-color: #1B1515; overflow:hidden; margin:0.5em; [/class] [class=statusBox] box-sizing: border-box; border-right: 3px dotted white; padding: 15px; float: left; max-width: 250px; margin: 0px 15px 15px 0px; [/class] [class=text] padding: 0px 15px 15px 15px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size:0.8em; [/class] [class=statusText] font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 0.75em; margin-top: 5px; [/class] [class=characterPortrait] box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; border-radius: 20px; overflow: hidden; [/class] [class name=characterPortrait state=hover] opacity: 0.5 [/class]

 

[Jeda Teq]

"Very well than. As our liaison we'll leave the acquisition of the ship and initial communication with our contact to you." the heels of Arx's boots slapped together with a loud thud. His arm shot up with a crisp salute. His finger tips barely above the brim of his visor. As quickly as it went up it came down to his side. "Now with that out of the way," His attention turned to Jay and her guardsmen, "I'll be taking charge of your prisoner from here on out." He moved around the table approaching the trio. His walk was more of a march than anything, with his heels driving into the deck with each step.

Standing before Jay, Arx's golden eyes peered into her brilliant blue ones. There was a coldness in his gaze. Not the kind of cold that would be given from malice or disdain but one of absence. Almost like looking into a machine wearing skin that appeared to be human. With a bird like swivel of his neck he broke eye contact to meet the face of the guard holding Jay's controller. "Hand it over and return to your post. Your duties here are done." It would be easy for one to assume by 'it' that Arx was talking about the controller. However he was referring to Jay herself. Social norms meant little to nothing to him. Everything and everyone was nothing more than a tool. Especially if it had a collar. Only exceptions were those who had seats of power. That's how he was raised.

 

[C.DEX]

"Of coourse, there's always another alternativeeee~" Jeune sang, a sick smile coming to her face as she knew she'd be stirring the pot. Her eyes shifted to the others. She knew that people got particularly zealot-esque about their Gods, and testing the limits was incredibly fun. At the same time, it was a real suggestion. "We could always contract a Void ship. They're quiet, and the pilots never chat your ear off. Plus, we'd be supporting the local businesses! Void Apostles gotta eat, too."

Her eyes shifted beneath dark sunglasses, flitting to the others for a response. Then, a voice spoke out.

Verillis's eyes opened at the mention of the ship, and he slowly sat back up in his chair to look at Jeune. "Over my dead body are we getting to Isyn under the Shadow," he said when she finished, in a measured tone which betrayed an intensity he had not felt before. Realizing this, he smiled, looked around the table and sat back in his chair again. "Devout individuals have no need of such trickery, after all," he continued in a more relaxed voice, "and I'm sure we are all capable of handling ourselves on our own. Let's go with the crazy guy's relief effort deal. Sounds pretty fun."

"Calm your booster seat, cowboy." Jeune replied, with a wink. "We can always go refugee effort. Though ... thinking about it now, I might have to lend my nurse outfit to Miss Bondage over here," she said, gesturing toward Jay. "I got contracted to be your pilot, after all."

 

[Lyro]

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[/div][div class=title]Verillis[/div] [div class=mentions]Mentioned: C.DEX Emibow C.DEX C.DEX C.DEX C.DEX C.DEX C.DEX [/div] [/div][/div]

..

"Contracting the services of a Void ship would use up most of this mission's budget anyway," muttered the tiefling as he scanned through his tablet. "Here we are," he continued in a louder tone, as he swiped on his tablet and the holographic map of Isyn was replaced by the three-dimensional symbol of a galactic swirl upheld by two outstretched palms. Various bits of accompanying text popped into existence all around it with relevant facts. "The West-Galactic Benefaction. Established over a hundred years ago, circa 31,198 GE. One of several NGOs currently active on Isyn, and by far the most well-known. I am told they recently started up a new program dedicated to evacuating and relocating children from affected war zones. They have other endeavors going on too, but this one should suit you." A 2D map of Isyn popped up, centered around the dig site. A red overlay appeared, stretching over a substantial portion of the affected area.
"As luck would have it, they have specifically been negotiating for greater access near the target. Now this won't be enough to get you in all the way, but it should get you pretty far. We can arrange some paperwork that should get you through the orbital frontier; you'll need to finish up the procedure once you arrive in, ah..." He blinked and frowned at a name on his tablet. "Txz... Tix... This city," he concluded as he swiped again and a city's name was highlighted on the map of Iysn:

Txzalotjol

. "It's the closest one. Reportedly one of the oldest cities on Isyn, too."

The tiefling looked up at the assembled group. "If you're going this route, the exact ship you take won't matter much - just pretend you chartered it for your relief effort. Or actually charter a ship, if that's not an option. If you have no preference, we will select one for you."

The guard looked impassively at Arx before he noticed the insignia of the Tiffrel army on his clothes. His expression switched to a smirk as he pointed to his suit's own insignia - a corporate logo depicting lightning wrapped in chains. "'fraid it doesn't quite work that way, little guy. This particular lawbreaker is currently the property of Servissive Inc.. The only reason she's here is because someone is paying for her participation in your little adventure." He looked Arx up and down and shrugged. "Of course, someone's gonna have to be in charge of her, and it might as well be you. I'll check with my superiors."

 

[Tardy Grade]

For all his lack of mental 'fortitude', it didn't take him too long to realise the presence of friction in this merry band of theirs. No doubt he'd find cause to argue with a few of them himself. Like this 'Arx' fellow that saw books as a non-essential requirement. Under prior circumstances, he would likely already have been carving out the man's tongue for his uncouth statement. But after the first time, he'd learned better than to indulge in such whims... with an audience present.

Instead, he leaned against the spot previously occupied by the larger Groth. "Books ... are important. When you open a new book, you open a new world. Before the days where we found the means of 'flight' beyond our own worlds, they took us further than all else. It's a shame how little some seem to care for them now ..." rubbing the spine of his book, he let the edge of his nails trace the cracks in the leather.

"Preference for a ship?" Spending a brief moment in consideration Pane took his ingot to the wall of the room. Humming contentedly he scratched a rough etching of one of the medium-sized 'cargo' transport ships attached to the side-ports of the station. Since the wall was clearly not 'paper', the highly condensed material cut through the outermost layer like diamond against rock.

Space Cargo ship from online sources

• Tardy Grade
• Apr 27, 2018

Original link http://i.imgur.com/pzFWAhv.jpg

"Don't suppose you happen to have one of these you can spare us?" he said, putting the last minute details to the panels of his diagram. His ability to do so this quickly a testament to the time spent writing and drawing on that isolated space rock. The experience had left Pane with a rather well-developed ability to draw and recreate things by hand. A skill not encouraged by many for its antiquated ways. The quality of the digital representation was far more plentiful after all. In its accuracy and details.

It's 'truth'.

But as Loreh always told him... "Art is the lie that enables us to realize the truth. The greater the work of Art? The grander the truth..."

So he'd drawn a lot then on that rock... He drew his parents. His uncle's return. His own return home. The resurrection of a teacher he'd never known. The destruction of the rock he found himself on and the end of his long and arduous loneliness ... And after each work was done...

"Apologies for the wall. You can have someone clean it up, right? The sooner the better..." he stuffed his ingot away and then avoided looking at the wall as he went back to take his seat. Notably quieter than before.

 

[Sir Swigglesworth]

[div class=wrapper][div class=box][div class="boxBg boxBgLarge"][/div][div class="boxBg boxBgTall"][/div][div class="boxBg boxBgMedium"][/div][div class=boxInner][div class=statusBox][div class=characterPortrait][/div][div class=statusText]Location: Space Station in Isyn Orbit
Mood: Patient
Status: N/A
Tags:
[/div][/div][div class=title]Vincent "Shade" Lacroia[/div][div class=text]Vincent sat quietly as everyone else spoke about the current order of operation, and that was use a cargo ship and disguise as humanihowevermanyspecies-tariens and get onto the planet that way. His only question to himself was what this ramshackle of people would do once they all actually got onto the planet. Sure getting on is one thing, but the next is actually getting to the objective and he had no doubt in his mind that it would either be a warzone or highly secure, moreso than a nun's virginity.

His attention however was drawn earlier on in the conversation to a lunar elf deeming him Mr. Feelings, he thought everyone expected him to lash out again just as they did to the other woman. "It's rather amusing to see how much people can think of you from a first impression." Vincent thought to himself as they watched others in the room observe him with assuming eyes. His only response to the lunar elf's comment was a soft chuckle and easy spoken comment, "Well that's certainly one way to say it, if you've only just met me that is."

Now bringing things back to the present, Vincent sat patiently as everyone hashed out the plan ideas. He didn't have much more to say, they were one of the soldiers and he would pose as security just as Rook would. Ironically enough, looking at the woman he had lashed at earlier, Vincent could see some similarities between her and him. Jay, he reckoned her name was. She was clearly an analytical individual, something he observed during his show of aggression. They were able to deduce she said what she had said to get a feel for him, and he had given her just what she wanted. It wasn't false though, such speech like that can and would warrant someone either dying or losing their tongue, and he does prefer to work alone in most cases. She just as he does, hides their true nature with a facade. It was clear that she looks careless, a clear alcoholic, and unkept. Vincent could see in her subtle mannerisms however that there was something certainly much different inside her, he just couldn't quite put his tongue on it.

Funny enough, he felt that she would make an advantageous companion during this whole ordeal, even if bitter feelings do exist. He mentally took note to talk to her privately, perhaps even apologize. His own facade was that of a crude merc, honestly something he was quite content with in this situation. In reality he's quite easy going, of course it's not seen much when he's working combined with the fact they prefer to gather any information he can on his accomplices in they have to work in a group. Well at least he thinks they are easy-going, instability aside. [/div][div class=text][/div][/div][/div][/div]



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