Faction Frontier Liberation: Salt the Earth || The Confederacy

[Ardin Paskal]

congress chambers ❀ rothana ❀ outer rim

Zhuan Cao 's laugh as she responded to him had pulled faintly at one corner of his lips, as he continued to observe the assembly. Weighing his thoughts on all that had been put forward so far.

"お会いできてうれしいです、どう思いますか。私たちにはいくつかの選択肢があります、確かにいくつかの「戦争はビジネスに良い」."

"同様に" he responded absently and with less warmth than she had given when greeting him, his voice trailing... simply because his attention was on the other participants in this first gathering. Ardin's dark eyes were finally drawn to his cousin and away from the assembly when she asked his thoughts, but just as soon drifted, following the small gift bag with muted interest when she slid it his way. There were words on his tongue, the start of his response, but he delayed speaking as his manicured fingers gently tugged the opening of the gift bag apart just enough to take a peek.

"ありがとう" he said with a small smile - he certainly had use for the cosmetics - before continuing on to give Zhuan his undivided attention, and his response, releasing his light grasp on the gift bag's opening, "思うに..."

And his words just as soon died, being interrupted by the voice of Vemric Keldra , who was addressing the assembly once again. Ardin's head canted minutely to one side as he paused to listen, then his attention turned to the head of their government in full - who was a handsome man, let it be said. The terms of the vote the Sephi laid out caused the half-Atrisian Lord to reassess his response to his cousin, a mild cheshire smile curving his lips, his thoughts churning.

"...私はもう少し判断を保留しようと思う" he concluded, settling back into his seat, glancing to Zhuan as he spoke. "これについては後で話そう。"

They had much catching up to do, indeed. For now he would wait, withholding his vote until he could see how other representatives reacted to the president's voting terms.. and the votes, stances, and opinions of others, and they didn't disappoint. Only one voted without further commentary, and the rest had much to say to back their votes. Some passionately so. Ardin returned Zhuan's smile after her vote with one of his own, that was more of a firm line than anything else - Mandalorians had a poor track record with diplomacy not only in recent times (he had heard a supposed Mand'alor had stormed out of a summit with the Galactic Alliance in a tizzy only so many months prior) but far back beyond the span of his life, and struggled with unity amongst themselves for as long. You meet a Mandalorian, and you have met just one Mandalorian; any decision with respect to them had to come with caveats... which both Zhuan and Xazzex Xivar did, though they landed on opposite sides of what was becoming a clear divide.

One he could prolong... or not.

Ardin Paskal - the Lord Seijirō Tanaka - made to speak, and did so without liasing with a translator, his voice coming through the speaker system with a mild Atrisian accent, speaking Galactic Basic. "I pray you are able to speak with the tongue of a warrior, Marquis Nargath," he began, looking to Tertius C. Nargath , "if you wish to treat with one." Neither his plain tone, nor his impassive expression gave any indication as to subtext. He also felt no need to include Zhuan in it by naming her, despite her aligning with the Eriaduan noble. Ardin continued on, speaking to the assembly as a whole. "If this body elects not to hold our hand out in diplomacy towards the Mandalorians at this time, it is not the equivalent of ignoring them. Nor is it leaving our door open and unguarded, if we elect to step towards them," he gestured with one hand to Zhuan, to the left of him, "so mentioned already. To do either of these things is perilous, blind."

Was that not what an intelligence service was for? His House retained personnel in such respects, looking out, as much as in.... but he didn't wish to insult the intelligence of this body by elaborating further. He then looked to Xazzex.

"But it is near as you say - we will... decide whether to cross that bridge if we arrive at it, and until then, we will keep our eyes open for any, hmm--" how should he put this? "--malicious 妖怪 that may or may not have inhabited the space beneath it?" So to speak. Ardin gave a thin smile and tipped his head toward the green-skinned woman, then looked back to the rest of the assembly, and the president. "Rishi votes 'aye', at this point in time."

Vemric Keldra • Tertius C. Nargath • Zhuan Cao • Arjen Herrix • Rulonom Laborr • Eva Malström
Makai Dashiell • Danger Arceneau • Hester Shedo • Phee Zti • Mars Raynor​

 

[Danger Arceneau]

Interacting with: Mars Raynor | Open for interaction
| Dress x | x | x | x | x | x | X | X |

​

Well, he's gotten this far... let's see how much farther he can go, Danger mused, a spark of amusement glittering in her feline emerald eyes. Mistah Raynor seemed to settle himself in that chair quite comfortably once he had that lowball glass of brandy in hand.

At least, until she posed the real question -- details on all those so-called trailblazing services he was offering.

Her cordial smile remained firmly in place, lips curving softly as she watched the young spacer entrepreneur gather his thoughts and work out his pitch. So, it was hyperlane exploration and charting new routes. Now that made a bit more sense, especially out in the Wild Regions. Danger had dealt with plenty of hyperlane charters before -- she'd been a major investor in the Mara Corridor under Jorus and Alna Merrill, as well as in the creation of the Levantine Spur, Shadowrun, and Crusader's Way. Arceneau Trade had its hands in quite a few ventures, always looking for new worlds to stake out trade and fuel stations.

But, just as with anyone else she'd invested in, Danger needed more than just a promising idea. She needed details, solid facts. Was Mistah Raynor doing all this charting alone, or did he have a crew backing him? What was his project management style, what had he already forged before, and what those resources and costs were to get his company there.

Or was he just talking up a half-arsed storm and hoping he didn't crash into some astrological object or Purgil flock with haphazard talk and action?

"Hyperlane chartin'? Mighty interestin', Mistah Raynor," she drawled, the smooth cadence of her voice floating over like the most sweetest of Alderaanian Molassas.

"But are you chartin' these paths yourself, or do you have a crew assistin' with the process? And I reckon I'd like to see examples of any new lanes you've charted before." Danger brought her glass up to take a sip of her whiskey, enjoying the warm, smooth burn before she continued.

"If so, show me which paths you selected, which worlds were connected, and, of course, the project management details -- costs, timeline, resources. Are you takin' up requests or have a particular chart in the future in mind? I'd be mighty curious to see how you're plannin' to make all this happen."

Her words were kind, sweet even, but there was a sharpness beneath the honeyed tone -- one that said she'd be expecting more than just pretty talk and a handsome face if he wanted her investment.

All the while, more votes came in -- Vice Leader of State, Parliamentary Leader Xazzex Xivar and the Representative from Rishi, Ardin Paskal confirmed yes, although there certainly seemed to be some interesting dialogue between the Marquis and Ardin Paskal .

Curious indeed.

 

[Mars Raynor]

Direct Tags: Danger Arceneau Makai Dashiell

Danger hit him with a wave of questions. She threw every detail at him, and his brain was seizing up, trying to process it all. It was like trying to shift gears on a busted thruster—grinding, sputtering, and going nowhere fast.

Checkmate.

But for him.

He went quiet. The grin he'd been wearing was just washed away by a tide of defeat and despair. Slowly, he leaned forward once more, voice dropping to almost a whisper.

"Look, I'm gonna level with you." he paused, green eyes meeting hers. "I need this."

 

[Rissk]

Kaddak
Open Marketplace
- Jas Katis - Tharil - Takeshi Ryu - Tyzin Robb - Sentros Hannascand - Tamna Korvan -
​

Rissk took a moment to reload his weapon, pressing up against the wall. He blinked and thought a little about what stacking up meant- he got some colorful mental images- before realizing he'd instinctually gone where he was supposed to, raising his blaster to where the breach would be created.

Boom.

Rissk pressed into the room after the flashbang, catching two hired goons off-guard. The soldier was quicker in dispatching his, but Rissk was a little slower, blasting one full of stun shot, and grabbing the other by the face, and banging them against the wall. The thug crumpled to the ground, and Rissk sent another stun blast into it, just to be safe.

Besides that first bout of excitement, the hallway to the main room was relatively calm, save for a Cathar that was quickly dealt with. Rissk walked slowly behind the human. his blaster at hip level, pointed ahead. He could feel the mounting tension. The target was ahead, he could practically smell it. Something deep in his bones urged him onward, to finish this hunt.

They stacked up again, and Rissk palmed his own smoke grenade. He didn't know if the soldier had a way to see through it, but he had a helmet, and that was already better than their opponents thus far.

"Ssstay low, soldier," he growled, smiling teeth shining in the darkness.

Takeshi broke down the door, and recieved a blaster bolt in the leg for his trouble. Waiting a breath after the flashbang was thrown, he tossed in his own grenade. First there was light, then there was darkness, as smoke choked the room, further obscuring their entrance.

Rissk charged in, sliding over a table to get within shotgun range of the room. Then, he got to blasting, stunning a few opponents before he felt an arm wrap around his neck. The Trandoshan squawked in surprise, catching the Zabrak's wrist before they could plunge their knife in his eye.

He certainly hoped the soldier watching his back was a good shot. And could see him through the smoke.

 

[Droc’tav’nar]

|| SALT THE EARTH ||

~and it goes like this, the fourth, the fifth~

TAG: Ardin Paskal | Arjen Herrix | Danger Arceneau | Eva Malström | Hester Shedo | Makai Dashiell | Mars Raynor | Phee Zti | Rulonom Laborr | Tertius C. Nargath | Vemric Keldra | Zhuan Cao

Spoiler: THEME

​

ROTHANA

Rothana, the freezing cold heart of the newly minted Confederacy does feel like home to the young politician who is draped sharply in a tailored single-breast wool suit. If he is a more sentimental type, he would present himself, both figuratively and literally, differently on this eventful day. The atmosphere of Rothana is eerily similar to Csilla, after all, not that he ever stepped foot on his ancestral home, he wasn’t even born yet when it was annihilated by the Maw. Perhaps that’s the root of his considerably lesser attachment towards his own people. If he was anymore different, he would probably choose a more representative outfit, at the very least including a garment traditionally worn by the Chiss (his suit is made from Naboo-sheep wool, how ironic).

Yet even if he was, he knew better than that, than his own family perhaps. He is here tonight, mingling with the aristocrats, magnates, and elites of the Outer Rim, representing both the Chiss, albeit unoffically, and the people of Excarga, officially. That’s how he should present himself, although his true allegiance lies only in House Droc, the survivor of the annihilation of Csilla, the kingmaker of Excarga.

Relatively new to the political theatre of the Outer Rim, the charming Chiss took his time to study what from now on is going to be his playing field. Obviously, he’s spent sleepless nights studying dossier of his future comrades, rivals, and everyone in between. Yet it’s a whole different level when you actually share physical space with your counterparts. Only then you can even start calling them acquaintances. He strategically decided to use the time to observe, there’s going to be plenty of time to fraternise afterwards.

The session goes on, discussions about the League of Autonomous World, Tingel Arms Coalition, and whatever left of the Mandalorian Enclave. The President, former governor of the Enclave opened the vote with heed in his words; the Mandalorian are not to be trusted. Yet some decided that the warning was just that; an empty one. Pity.

“To celebrate individuality is to purge within ourselves the threat of the very intolerance that threatens our individuality. The Mandalorian, as a collective, has proven on countless occasions that they are not willing to engage in what the rest of us know as a civilised discourse. They want nothing but uniformity and that shouldn’t be allowed to entrench our great Confederacy,” the young man shared his thought to the assembly for the first time today. He took a pause, glaring at those who had voted nay, trying to gauge their reaction at his risqué but well-thought words.

“The League and the Coalition, on the other hand, can be a great ally to stave off the encroaching influence of the Alliance, Sith, and Imperials into our sovereign territories. The Planetary Republic of Excargo thus votes aye on the motion.”

 

[Tamna Korvan]

F O X
MARUNDA COMPOUND | KADDAK
TAG: Sentros Hannascand | Jas Katis | Tharil | Rissk | Takeshi Ryu | Tyzin Robb

SEPERATE WAYS​

Well they made it to the door.

Mostly thanks to Sentros' fine shooting. She just rifle-butted one brute and particled another on the way. Tamna was in her element, even while being shot at. Especially when being shot at.

As they reached the corridor, the gunslinger made a remark as they moved.

"Going out there might be a death trap, we should do what we can from in here"

"Aw, is the wittle Snowflake sceawed of a firefight?" Tamna teased him in a toddler's way of speaking. But he was right, they could whittle down some thugs from in here and disrupt them in other ways for the rest of the team to do what needs to be done. She was on black ops duty, not full frontal assault this time. She wasn't in full Hellion gear for this shindig. "Come on, let's get someplace where we can disrupt those hitmen pinning down the army outside." she then said more normally.

She made for a door that could, potentially, eventually lead them to a communications array. But just as she opened the door, her senses made alarm for danger. Next thing she knew, she was being pushed to the side with some force just as a blaster went off right next to her. She stumbled against the wall to the side, before turning just in time to see a thug's body drop and a Trandoshan was making for Sentros, who didn't have enough time to pull off another shot and was trying to stay out of reach of the immense thug.

Without hesitating, Tamna launched herself at the lizard, tackling him from the side.
"Shoot the other one!" she yelled at her partner while landing a solid punch on the Trandoshan's jaw. They wrestled for a minute, Tamna taking a clawed slash to her side, before she finally rolled away, pulling her pistol as she did so. Ending up on her back, she pulled the trigger to pump a three-round burst into the lizard that was coming for her again.

His body fell toward her, already dead. She scrambled to avoid being flattened, but the tall, muscular , dead-weight frame of the alien still managed to pin her.
"Oof!" came a winded groan before she tried to no avail to move the weight from on top of her.

Even her athletic strength wasn't enough to move such bulk of a dead body.

 

[Sentros Hannascand]

Frontier Liberation: Salt the Earth

Tamna Korvan
Vicinity tag: Jas Katis | Tharil | Rissk | Takeshi Ryu | Tyzin Robb​

Sentros, through a great deal of self control, kept himself from laughing out loud at her remark. "They're too hot for me" he mused, playing on the same theme as her. It would end there, for the two of them towed the line between playful quips and business well. This was fortunate, for the Trandoshan attackers soon converged upon them.

A relieved breath left him as she threw herself at the nearest attacker. The Gunslinger followed her suggestion and fired off a couple of shots as he turned around. Unfortunately, both hit the wall - in fact, they weren't even near their mark. The corridors of the compound were narrow and Sentros had let go of the trigger as soon as he saw the considerable risk of hitting his ally, rather than his mark. Cursing under his breath, he took a step back to line himself up with the wall. With a deliberately aimed shot, he managed to hit the assailant's leg. It was only when she threw herself down onto the floor that he took the final shot to finish the opponent.

His eyes then shot down at the bits of his ally that he could see and the large trandoshan on top of her. Acting quick, the Outlaw bent down and grabbed the corpse by its clothes before tossing it aside, seemingly not the least phased by its weight. For the time being, his sole focus was on her as he crouched down and scanned her for injuries before finally flashing her a smile "You're a true featherweight if I've ever seen one." He extended a hand for her to take to hoist her back up to her feet.

By the time they were back in action, a number of explosions had just gone off. The man looked around uncomfortably before continuing down the path they were on until arriving by a doorway that seemed to where the explosions came from. It was near the outer parts of the compound too, for a boarded up window allowed them to see Jas Katis fighting the thugs outside. He gave his ally a look before placing his hands on the boards to tear them away. Once enough planks were gone, he drew his blasters once more "Eyy, this way" before letting out a stream of bolts at a couple of thugs between the Hellion and the window.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

Interacting with: Mars Raynor | Open for interaction
| Dress x | x | x | x | x | x | X | X |

​

"Look, I'm gonna level with you." he paused, green eyes meeting hers. "I need this."

Well, at least now he was being honest.

Danger's lips curved into a slight, knowing smile, her feline green eyes peeking over the rim of her lowball glass. If this were a more private setting, she might've offered Mars a cigarillo to ease his nerves -- something to consider for later, perhaps.

"Figured as much, Mistah Raynor," she replied, her tone light, tinged with amusement but without a hint of judgment. She'd been in his shoes once, sitting in front of someone with all the power, trying to make her way as a captain of one of Arceneau's smuggling ships. Back then, she'd been running supplies through Hutt and Black Sun territory and dodging trade enforcers.

"Alright," she drawled, setting the glass down gently. "How 'bout you level with me further? Just give it to me straight. What exactly are your plans if you get the investment? And how much we talkin' about?"

Her voice was sweet as honey, but there was a sharpness to her question, a challenge for him to drop the pretense and speak plainly. Danger might've liked him, but business was business.

 

[Mars Raynor]

Direct Tags: Danger Arceneau

The seconds before Danger opened her mouth felt like an eternity for Mars. Like he was sitting on a chair, waiting for the gallows to drop, but the jury couldn't be bothered to call a verdict because they were too busy playing sabacc. And with every passing moment, dusk settled in, choking out the last glimmers of hope—

"Alright," Danger drawled and the sun damn near broke through the clouds; his whole body loosened, the smile creeping back onto his face. "How 'bout you level with me further? Just give it to me straight. What exactly are your plans if you get the investment? And how much we talkin' about?"

Raynor's first instinct was to throw out a number, something big enough to catch her interest but not so crazy she'd walk. A hundred thousand? Two hundred? But he swallowed that impulse, hard. This was a lifeline. If he bullshitted now, she'd see right through it.

"Alright," he leaned in, hands resting on the table, green eyes locked on her. "Cards on the table. I've… not exactly run the numbers on the cost yet, but here's the deal: there's a lot of undiscovered systems in Wild Space still. And those that've been charted don't have good enough routes between them -- think dirt roads out on Oorn Tchiss. Most folks give up 'cause of the anomalies, nebulas, that kind of stuff. I'm thinking I can carve out routes. Make Wild Space a little less wild."

He paused, pulling out his datapad. A holographic map of the galaxy flickered to life between them. Mars pointed at it, eyes gleaming in the holoblue hue. "There's something bigger. The Merrils—" he said their name like a prayer, "charted the Mara from Ryloth to the Braxant. Changed the whole Mid Rim."

He pointed east. "But I think there's a route that could go from Ryloth, cut through Wild Space, and end up near the Tingel Arm. Maybe even the Corporate Sector. A new route. That's what I'm after."

 

[Danger Arceneau]

Interacting with: Mars Raynor | Open for interaction
| Dress x | x | x | x | x | x | X | X |

​

Oh, he had a plan alright. Whether he'd thought through redundancies, timelines, or the kind of creatures -- two-legged or otherwise -- he might cross, well, that was another story. But there was no denying that glint in Mistah Raynor's eyes. He had a dream, and he was set on chasing it. There's a difference between smooth talkers looking to scam and someone with real passion, and it was clear as day that this young man had a deep ambition for taming the wilds of Wild Space.

Of course, ambition alone wouldn't get the job done. But the idea of a new hyperlane, much like the Mara Run, carving its way through Wild Space and ending near the Tingel Arm? That had potential. It could be another vital route for Arceneau Trade, and for those in less... legal ventures, too.

"Ambitious, Mistah Raynor," Danger replied, nodding slowly as her mind raced through the logistics, the costs, and the possibilities of such an undertaking. "But I like your thought process."

Her voice was honeyed but thoughtful, "Now, are you plannin' to do this yourself, with a partner, or do you have a crew and more ships in your pocket? Jorus Merril and his wife took their time chartin' the Mara Corridor, and Jorus had a particular knack for it. Have you ever charted out a new hyperlane before or dealt with how it works so you ain't crashin' into a Purgil herd?" She said this with mild amusement, but she was serious. Charting a new hyperlane and making it safe so that no one would crash into an astronomical object or in a migratory field was importing.

 

[Mars Raynor]

Danger Arceneau

Things were finally looking up for Mars Raynor. Danger was asking him questions he could actually answer truthfully.

"Just my ship, my droid, and me. I've got my credentials from the Navigator's Guild on Teta. Or had rather—" He stopped short, maybe too truthful, eh. They'd revoked those credentials when they blamed him for the Imperial invasion of Teta. Not exactly wrong, but... it's complicated.

Raynor quickly shifted gears. "Wait, you knew the Merrills?" he asked, wide-eyed, trying to move the conversation off his homeworld and his fugitive status.

 

[Vemric Keldra]

KELDRA
CONGRESS CHAMBERS | ROTHANA
TAG: Tertius C. Nargath | Zhuan Cao | Arjen Herrix | Rulonom Laborr (and Odett)| Eva Malström (and Xazzex) | Makai Dashiell | Hester Shedo | Mars Raynor | Danger Arceneau | Droc’tav’nar | Phee Zti

GOD OF EGYPT​

It was a fine line.

It could backfire on them. But Vemric's decades of experience with especially the Enclave Mandalorians told him to put the ball in their court rather than in the Confederacy's. Let the Mando'ade decide whether they want to see progress or if they prefer to wallow on their planet and not save their honour. He had fought alongside them to bring some semblance of stability to Wild Space and it would have all been for nothing if they couldn't stand with him now. It was their choice - regain their honour and approach the Confederacy with good terms, or raise weapons against a growing power whose current armed forces have their own vendetta against the Mando'ade.

The Sephi read Hester Shedo 's eyes as she voted. He understood. The last thing he wanted was to isolate. He wouldn't make the same mistake as the previous Confederacy he had been part of. To bring order to a very chaotic Frontier as well as the Galaxy, one needed allies, to extend olive-branches. What one didn't need, is a volatile people that can turn on you at any second. He'd rather have an enemy who's ins and outs he knows than an ally that would slit his throat in his sleep. He had forgiven the Enclave, begrudgingly, for using and endangering Hefi as they did. He would not, however, make the same mistake in trusting that they wouldn't do it again - on a grander scale. He was not just responsible for one planet this time, he was responsible for many. He knew the old woman's concern - he had them too, but he had to think about the entire state, not just Scarif or Hefi. Where planetary representatives could think about their own independence, he had to think about everyone's.

He heard the nays of Tertius C. Nargath and Zhuan Cao and had to agree with them too. A fine line. He would not show a Mandalorian from the door out of principle. To him, personally, he'd handle it case by case instead of the nation as a whole. Like Droc’tav’nar said, purge the threat to independence and prosperity.

Finally, everyone had made their voices heard and had cast their votes. He, himself, could not vote and had to rely on the voices of the people to dictate the road the Confederacy had to take.

And thus they have.

Vemric's already tall frame grew taller as the majority of the room fell silent once more.
"The Aye's have it." he declared in an almost bored tone. "I wish to inform that everyone's concerns would be taken into account during the drafting of the legislation. No steps would be taken without this body's knowledge."

How he longed for the executive decisions of being the commanding officer on the bridge. It seems the higher your rank, the tighter the noose of procedures. As long as these democratic decisions advance stability and prosperity, however, he would endure.

"This first official meeting of Parliament is now adjourned."
​

 

[Danger Arceneau]

Interacting with: Mars Raynor | Open for interaction
| Dress x | x | x | x | x | x | X | X |

​

Danger gave a slow, understanding nod as the mention of Empress Teta hung in the air. In her mind, she'd figured the pause was because the planet had fallen under Imperial control -- not that there might be deeper threads to unravel beneath the surface. Maybe an investigation would turn up more, but if not, well, it didn't matter all that much to her.

Arceneau Trade prided itself on working with anyone and everyone. Their goal was simple -- invest in the locals, create jobs, and foster prosperity wherever they went. It was a philosophy that suited them well in sectors across the galaxy.

"I can verify those credentials but I know with Empress Teta under Imperial control, makes it harder -- though I do believe ther are other charter locations," Danger replied, a knowing smile tugging at the corner of her mouth as she took another sip of her drink. "But out here in the black, they ain't the end-all, be-all. Plenty of folks got a knack for this sort of thing without any guild's stamp of approval."

The mention of the Merrills brought a softer look to her eyes. Working with Alna Merrill had been a highlight. Alna knew how to negotiate a deal, and Danger respected anyone who could hold their own like that.

"That's right," she continued, a little twang in her voice. "Did business with 'em back when Silk Holdings was just getting its feet under it, and I've got five percent of the company now, thanks to an auction. They designed several of my long-term exploration trade ships, too."

Danger set her glass down, her green eyes sharp yet inviting. "I've worked on my fair share of hyperlane projects, so I've got a good sense of the costs involved. Now, I'm mighty keen on this venture of yours, Mistah Raynor. So I'm willin' to put up the credits, fuel, and resources, but I'll need you to chart it proper, with updates along the way. I'll also have you check in with an ATC rep as you go. Wild Space can be… unpredictable. The last thing you want is runnin' into a pack of Reavers out there without backup."

Her words carried a warm but serious note, underscoring both the promise and the risk of venturing into the unknown.

 

[Takeshi Ryu]

Tag: Jas Katis Tharil Tyzin Robb Rissk Tamna Korvan Sentros Hannascand​

Going low as advised by his bounty hunting comrade Takeshi despite his wound joined the former inside. His helmet's HUD did identify both targets and his ally through the smoke. He provided covering fire for Rissk, blasting in short bursts that eliminated three foes in quick succession. Then he took cover behind the overturned table and reloaded his rifle and wincing from his leg wound. Ryu went over to the side and shot again, at a gangster that made the mistake of firing blindly all over the place.

The thugs apparently are mistaking one another for their enemies due to the smoke and were now exchanging shots. This went on for another half minute before a panicked voice cried out

"Stop, stop shooting! We give up! We give up!"

Ryu immediately replied.

"Throw down your weapons and call off your goons outside! Or none of you won't leave this room alive."

He meant every word of that last statement. Soon enough as the smoke began to clear, blasters and blades were tossed aside all over. Meanwhile the surviving cartel leadership called their hired guns still fighting outside to scatter. Soon enough outside the compound any remaining gangsters not killed or captured began to flee all over the place.

Forcing himself up he looked to Rissk and nodded.

"Not bad Hunter. Not bad at all."

Then switching to stun mode he shot the reminder cartel leaders and their guards with Rissk, rendering them unconscious. Best not to take any chances. Done, he called the rest of the team.

"This is Private Takeshi. The bounty hunter and I have neutralized the cartel heads. I repeat we neutralized them. Half are dead but the rest are in custody."

 

[Mars Raynor]

Danger Arceneau

Mars Raynor was gleaming. Brimming with enthusiasm and confidence. Trailblazing the galaxy had always been his dream, but after the mess back home, it had become the only thing keeping him moving forward.

Now, he finally had a shot.

The shot.

Whatever danger the unknown held, he was dead set on punching right through it.

"Proper," the explorer said, giving a sharp nod, his eyes locked on Danger. "I won't disappoint, ma'am." He stood up, offering his hand. "Promise."

With that, he turned on his heel and walked out, heading straight for a new horizon.

A new life.