First Reply Meanwhile, A Galaxy Away

[Velok Brokentusk]

JAIBREK — NAGAI COLONY WORLD
COMPANION BESH ('FIREFIST')

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If you took the Nagai Trade Spine to the small galaxy called Firefist, Jaibrek would be your first stop after the intergalactic void. A Nagai colony world, it was known for its multispecies bazaar, where the curios of Firefist and the Prime Galaxy intermingled.

Freshly released from a three-decade curse that he'd well and truly earned, Velok took his time. He'd been to this market before, but not as a free Whiphid. He wandered and tasted and thought about life, the kind of man he wanted to be, the hyperroutes that radiated from Jaibrek and where they might lead. He hadn't brought his cauldron, or he would have set up shop and told fortunes for spare change, and to meet people. A place like this had everyone. Anyone could wind up here.

He procured himself a very spicy skewer of several whole roast birds. Almost three meters tall and the better part of half a ton, Velok was constantly hungry, and today he wanted to enjoy some local cuisine on his walk. A drink, too: he held a keg as a mug, and slurped with abandon.

 

[Ruuz]

Traveling to Firefist was a rare treat for Ruuz. Plenty of rare goods both legal and ‘less-than-legal’ could be traded between the two galaxies. Even with his limited cargo space Ruuz could make a fine profit off of some intergalactic trading and courier work. In some ways the wolfman envied the denizens of Firefist. So disconnected that they need not be bogged down by the woeful happening back home.

Then again the threat of being pulverized on a whim by a giant green man with no manners wasn’t particularly appealing to him either. Maybe the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.

As Ruuz stepped through the bazaar, a funny looking bird was perched upon his shoulder. Curiously looking around at the various stalls. They were a Jubba Bird, and primarily focused on the various foods. Letting out a disappointed hum. Causing Ruuz to let out a sigh and roll his eye. “I told you, go out and find some prey if you’re hungry, you don’t need hang around me all day.” He knew the bird could make their way back to the ship. Although he could understand that such a new environment could be scary to the social creature.

Soon enough the wolfman and his bird walked past a similarly tall, yet notably more brawny individual, a whiphid. Just as he stepped by the man, his hungry Jubba Bird deftly snatched one of the roasted birds away in its wide beak. With the smell of roasted food so close to his snout Ruuz looked over, his eye widening in shock over the bird stealing the food and trying to eat it. “Kiwi! Spit that out!” He shouted at the kleptomatic avian.

Reaching up he grabbed the roast from Kiwi and yanked it away from them. However, the bird managed to rip off a pretty sizable piece for itself and greedily gulped it down it’s gullet before letting out a mischievous yet satisfied hum. “Why I oughta let them roast you next.” Ruuz said with a growl before looking at the unfortunate man that his bird had just stolen from. Casually he handed the half eaten roasted back to the whiphid unsure if they’d still want it back. “My apologies, Kiwi is still learning how to keep their talons and beak to herself.” Despite how spicy the food was, Kiwi seemed unfazed by it and was casually pruning her feathers as though she’d done nothing wrong.

Velok Brokentusk

 

[Velok Brokentusk]

The real tragedy wasn't the loss of a roast bird off the skewer. The real tragedy was spilling half a barrel/mug of his drink. Local hooch slopped all over Velok's feet. He glared outrage at the Jubba bird. Old instincts suggested half a dozen ways to take revenge.

But revenge was for peers. That wasn't a peer, that was a Jubba bird.

He accepted the ravaged carcass and tossed it in his mouth. "Thanks for reclaiming it," he said, mouth full. "I've been living off vegetables at a Nagai telepath convent for a few days too long. Can't waste the protein."

He gave the bird a renewed baleful glare and considered the matter settled.

"Shistavenan? Long way from Uvena. Then again, I guess your homeworld's closer than mine."

Ruuz

 

[Ruuz]

Despite the Whiphid’s glares the Jubba continued to act dumb and idly prune her feathers. Although Ruuz knew Kiwi was merely just trying to act like an aloof animal. “Vegetables? Yep definitely wouldn’t want it to go to waste then.” Ruuz then shot a look towards Kiwi as well. Being a heavy meat eater himself he could empathize with the whiphid in that regard.

Then he raised a brow at them as they commented on being far from his homeworld. Ruuz would probably say the same thing to them, but didn’t actually recognize them as a whiphid given their lack of tusks.

“Well if I’m being honest I’ve never actually seen Uvena. But you are right, I am a Shistavenan. Also this is probably one of the last places I expected to be recognized as such.” Ruuz said with a slight chuckle considering that they are in a whole other galaxy albeit one not too far away given the cosmic scale of things. “So tell me, are you one of the vendors here at this market?” If they happened to be one Ruuz wasn't sure what the might be selling. But he'd try buy at least something, as a curtesy for Kiwi's earlier transgressions.

Velok Brokentusk ​

 

[Velok Brokentusk]

"Not today. I was enjoying-" One final glare at the bird, who struck him as far too smug. "-a leisurely meal. Seeing the sights. I'm a recent arrival to Jaibrek, and this is only my second port of call in Firefist."

Flagging yourself as a new arrival was not generally considered best practice when travelling, but nobody was going to fleece or roll a nine-hundred-pound near-penniless Whiphid.

"I'm Velok Brokentusk. Of Toola, once upon a time. Do you know the Jaibrek market well?"

He was trying to suss out whether the Shistavenan was a fellow traveler or, somehow, local, and how Ruuz interacted when there was a hint of potential advantage or opportunity.

 

[Ruuz]

Ruuz paid no mind to the glares Kiwi received, knowing they were certainly earned. “Nice to meet you Mr. Velok, I’m Ruuz.” The mention of their world and the title of ‘Brokentusk’ finally allowed the wolf man to see them as a whiphid. Just one missing their distinctive tusks.

“I myself have been to the galaxy a number of times. Never staying very long however. Mostly to trade ‘select’ goods that can’t be found back home. Although this is my first time here on Jaibrek. So it seems like us outsiders are in the same boat with being unfamiliar here.” Ruuz replied to Velok rather casually. Having no real interest in taking advantage of another traveler. However, Kiwi might take advantage of any openings to snatch more roasted bird from the whiphid.

Velok Brokentusk ​

 

[Velok Brokentusk]

Ruuz (Sorry, work got heavy.)

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Velok swatted the audacious bird away, chewing irritably. Not so long ago, he'd have simply eaten the jubba bird for its infringements. But he was very seriously trying to be less aggressive, for personal reasons.

"Select goods, you say..." He finished his skewer and fished in his shoulder bag, which was proportionate to his three-meter height and thus cavernous. "What's your interest in Tof weapons? There was an incident at my last port of call. Scavengers will be busy there for years."

The laser cannon blast actuator looked small in his palm. It had come from a wrecked Tof dropship, incident to a larger wreck, all recent.

"Yours for the right price - the actuator or the coordinates. If that's of interest."