Weekend Treasure Hunt 17: Blazing the Blood Trail

[Tyranus]

[member="Reclaimer"]
With that Tyranus just turns and walks towards the wall near the door, but before he does he turns back towards the Reclaimer before saying something. He keeps his voice calm but with a slight strict tone.

You think I don't know that? You think I always tell my story to people? i only tell my story to people I trust, and now I know I made the right choice, nice meeting ya, Reclaimer. Oh, and yes I have anger issues if you were wondering but.....that's for different reasons.

With that he leans against the wall and closes his eyes, heaving out a sigh. The cold wall sends tingles down his spine and through the back of his head but he ignores it and keeps his eyes closed. Now, he needed to think about what the witch said about him dying soon, what would and does that mean anyways. He continued to strain his thoughts upon the witch trying to think about why she was in his mind and where she was currently on Tortuga but with no luck, he just cleared his mind.

 

[Venris Helion]

@Reclaimer @Tyranus Collik [member="Vassara Raxis"]

Venris pinched the bridge of his nose as he listened to Tyranus argue with the newcomer. As the armoured individual stormed towards the front of the bridge Venris rose to his feet and set one hand on the Reclaimer's armoured chest.

"Ladies," He sighed. "You're both beautiful, now kindly shut both of your mouths before I put you in the corner, minus a few limbs." He glanced up at the Reclaimer. "You, drop the attitude or feel free to step out through the nearest airlock. Tyranus here might not impress you but he's about a mountain or two up from you in my good books along with everybody else here. And if you'd talked like that to me you'd be taking a one way trip out the garbage chute in neatly packaged pieces"

Venris then turned his head towards Tyranus while taking his hand off of the Reclaimer, and stepped past the larger man. "And you, stop letting the new guy rile you up, it's unprofessional to do and sad for me to watch. In life there are just some people you can't get along with and there are some people you just shouldn't try to get along with. And Tyr, this is pretty much both wrapped into one armoured package."

With that out of the way Venris put a smile on his face and strode back towards Vassara. "Now if you two tin cans can actually behave yourselves I'll be riiiiight over here." He sat down next to Vassara and whispered to her. "I swear we're surrounded by giants now. What do they feed their kids on Mandalore?"

 

[Ignatius]

Location: Aboard the Archon
Objective: Complete Orders to the T
Gear: All can be found in my Link in the Sig.
People: [member="Vassara Raxis"], [member="Venris Helion"], [member="Tyranus Collik"],

I continued to walk on when a man who stood a lot shorter than me came up and pressed a hand to my chest. Alex was right behind me and stopped as well. His words of threats coming to me about throwing me out of the closest garbage chute were not really all that scary coming from the man his size. However, I could tell he was a force user. One who was actually powerful. His words also stated that he trusted the man who had tried to guilt trip me. I rolled my eyes and moved over to the holoprojector of the room once he moved on. I was never a good one with higher authority. Sure I would follow the commands given to me, but if I thought they went against moral values or were against an ally of mine, then I would go against them.

No matter who gave the order.

Once again his voice came out of us "Tin cans" behaving. All I did was ask a question of why he wanted to know who I was. I didn't have to say a word to him. Or anybody for that matter. I was here of my own accord, and if nobody liked the way I would work, they can either deal with it, or I will walk out of here.

I watched as he sat down and then mutter something over to the Captain. I shook my head and started to check my weapons and supplies over again. Might as well since I haven't been given and order other than shut the hell up.

 

[Tyranus]

[member="Reclaimer"] [member="Venris Helion"]
No Venris! Don't take my other arm because then i can't use force lightning, I already lost my arm and foot, do I want to lose anything else? No, and fine yeah. Will Reclaimer, I say we are officially rivals, yay!

Tyranus chuckled slightly and then took a long knife from a knife holster on his chest and he started sharping it with a piece of armor on his wrist. He whistled a tune and continued to sharpen his knife, a few sparks going here and their but not many. Mando stood up from his leather seat and walked over to Venris. He paused slightly before speaking.

Uhmm, so who are you? I'm a friend of Tyranus and I'm joining your fleet.

Tyranus continued to sharpen his knife, chuckling from what Venris said. Sure, they were acting like idiots and Vernis will, he took charge more then Tyranus did on a good day. Tyranus was never the same since Tortuga, something crashed in his mind on Tortuga and he supposed that it must have been the Witch but he didn't know for sure.

 

[Venris Helion]

[member="Reclaimer"] [member="Tyranus Collik"]

(Funny thing, I just checked....Reclaimer and Venris are the same height. xD When I saw that he's supposed to be the Chief I thought he'd be 7-8 feet or something when I typed my post.)


Venris glanced up at the person who had addressed him. He turned in his seat and whistled casually. "I, my curious friend, am Venris Helion. Former Jedi, Former Mercenary, Former Homeless Rat, and currently playing babysitter to Mandalorian Muscle Trees." At that last part Venris glanced between Reclaimer and Tyranus with a grin.

With introductions out of the way, he stood up to his full height and offered a hand to Mando to shake. "And who would you be, my good sir?"

 

[Andras Garon]

YTA-13OO Light Freighter
Enroute to Nemexia. On the Blood Trail

​

...the jump into hyperspace caused the stars to blur in the viewport as the YTA-1300 moved further along on its path to Nemexia. After that last anomally the sensors had collected some of the abnormal data and were compiling them while Andras relaxed backwards into his chair and took the time to reclaim his senses. The Mandalorians with him had likewise been shaken and were recovering. The Copilot had sunk back into his chair while the other man had remained in the back putting things in order again. The turbulence caused by the wave they'd encountered had knocked so many items ajar in the general area that it appeared as though it might have been falling apart. There was also the matter of repairing damage to the power output which was coming along slowly but still seeing strides. Andras calculated that they were well within the timeline that had been set for the journey...

...he had a cup of caff in his hand as time swept by. They'd come out of hyperspace to make contact with a beacon before jumping back into it and thus far everything was proceeding according to plan. It was quite a surprise as they were suddenly thrust back into normal space causing Andras to sit straight and take notice..."What just happened?"...while he asked that question the copilot was busy adjusting the sensors and managing power output again then they both same them. Sensors had picked up a number of foreign objects, blips on the screen, moving towards them surrounding a much larger object that had been unidentified as of yet which worried Andras. Out here in the black surprises like these were never good. The Copilot began to wheel the ship around while Andras turned his head and started to shout back into ship..."Get up on the canons now."...which was answered by an affirmative as the third Mandalorian took a ladder leading to one of the manual guns on the ship...

...the YTA-1300 came wheeling around giving Andras and the Copilot a view of what was approaching them through the viewport in the cockpit. It was horrifying. The Technobeasts were a mesh of organic that had adapted in a symbotic relationship with the technologic that was equal parts grotesque as it was a feat of science. There were smaller technobeats, flyers, the looked like they might have been a Mynocks at one point but were now twisted beyond comprehension. In the rear the larger technobeast lumbered along look as though it was some great sore ready to burst and postulate, it resembled nothing that Andras could identify but bits of flesh overlaid with tech were prevalent across its bloated body, someone it acted similar to how an Interdictor pulling ships that ventured to close to it out of hyperspace as well as ensuring those in the vicinity of it could not enter hyperspace...

..."Evasive action!"...was all Andras yelled as the copilot wheeled the ship back around and hit the thruster for the engines to spirit them away. The dual dual laser canons started to fire as well hoping to blast the technobeasts back. Andras rose up out of his seat and headed to the back stating..."As soon as we're clear of that bloated eye sore hit the jump to hyperspace."...it was instantly understood and then Andras was gone, disappeared, into the back of the ship...​

​

[member="Selka Ventus"]

 

[Tyranus]

[member="Venris Helion"]
Uhmm, I'm Mando, hired gun, sniper, assassin and hacker at your service. Also, I'm a mandalorion so, now you have three mando's.

Mando just stood their like he awaiting orders to do something but then Tyranus chuckled slightly. Mando supposed that he did look stupid but he didn't care, he just stood their at attention. Tyranus continued to sharpen his knife, the sound of metal scraping against metal could be heard as he sharpened his knife. Tyranus then put his knife back in it's holster and then he pulled out a machete from his thigh and began to sharpen it, the handle was of Bantha hide with a mandalorion pendant wrapped around the handle along with a pendant with a unknown symbol. Tyranus held the soft but thick handle tightly, as he sharpened it sending many sparks flying in all directions. Man, this knife really needed some sharpening since it was dull for a long while.

 

[RC 212]

[member="Ark Tallen"]​

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[member="Tyranus Collik"]​

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[member="Venris Helion"]​

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[member="Areiana Slayer"]​

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[member="Daniel Imura"]​

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[member="Zavzen Sae'ryx"]​

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[member="Ire"]​

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[member="Emily Beleren"]​

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[member="stardust"]​

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[member="Kerrick Ikon"]​

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[member="Reclaimer"]​

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[member="Noah Corek"]​

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-------------------------------------------------​

​

Location: Archeron, Bridge
Objective: Survive!

"Will you bunch shut the frak up and knock off the bickering? We're a team whether we like each-other or not. In addition jumps are hard to plot with folks yelling at one another. One slip up and we could sail straight into a blackhole and cease to exist."

Given the fact that Vassara was nearing that window of the day when she normally acquired her two hours of haunted sleep, she was feeling extra irritable and the stress of the mission was building.

It was no sooner had she spoken than they felt a lurch and she felt her stomach drop again. With flash they exited hyperspace and were faced end to end with a hulking Venator Star Destroyer.

"What the frak! Hold on!"

She reeled back on the yoke, instinct and force aiding her speed. As the controls slammed back she cut the engine to full blast. They sailed clear over the tip of the Venator, missing her by a hair. Vassara jaw clenched as she watched their shields scrape the hull and spark. Alarms bared, lights flashed and madness took hold.

"Looks like we hit an anomaly, some kind of....frak!"

Her eyes widened as she realized that they were within distance of a mini black hole itself. The Venator was off to the left and through the force she instantly felt the shroud of the darkside come down. It was thick like syrup coating everything. The blackhole was feeding, taking in the nearby matter at an ultra slow rate.

"We got pulled by mini black hole."

The Venator was old. So old she hadn't set eyes upon one in near history, only read of them. The sinister part was that the hull was decorated with flash frozen bodies, and chains that looked ages old. The bridge that was once dark lit up and she felt the spiral bloodtrail mark of the witch burn on her shoulder.

"AARGH!" She screamed releasing the controls as the Witch forced her way inside her conscious.

Beware Vassara, a great darkness reside here. The children of Belia Darzu and the Sorcerers of Rhand are close.

Darzu? Rhand, what are you saying? She screamed telepathically. Her answer came swift as she was transported virtually into the Venator in ghost form. A hooded figure with runes on its face sat upon a steel throne. As she watched in a ghostlike form his eyes began to glow red, and his head lifted. His cloak was stained with blood and his hands were clad in steel gauntletts. He looked right into her eyes, piercing them with his gaze.

"Welcome traveller. Prepare to join us!"

She turned her head looking left and right. There were strange abominations here, and more travelling from the shadows. The creatures were half mortal flesh, another half machine. Some were arachnids, massive and imposing. Others humanoid. Vassara shuddered as she felt them, great evil had warped them into mechanical beasts intent on killing.

Kill, consume, Recycle.

Their thoughts echoed in her mind and she screamed again.

And then she was back on the bridge of the Archeron. Her eyes snapped open and her forehead was slick with sweat.

"Take up arms, defend the ship!"

She had no time to explain, as her hand worked the controls again, banking right. But then the engines cut out. Now they were in dead space, undefended and a horde of flesh-mech beats were floating into the void, swarming towards their ship.

 

[Tyranus]

[member="Vassara Raxis"] [member="Venris Helion"] [member="Reclaimer"]
Chit! i knew we should have brought the Avenger! If only....

Tyranus managed as he ran over to a console. Running his hands along a few cold buttons that felt like they hadn't been touched in years, until he finally came upon the button to pen up the weapon systems. Tyranus then turned towards another button with a thick glass casing and he lifted the warm glass casing upward and then he slammed his hand upon a red button and the weapons began to arm and they began to fire upon groups of the flesh creatures. Explosions of fire and flesh sounded outside of the ship, killing a number on the strange flesh creatures. But, with every 10 killed, 20 more took their place. Tyranus turned towards the door to the bridge and ran out of it and through the sleek but narrow steel corridor. He opened a cold door handle and then walked in and down a set of stairs, the lights were cut out and a strange slimy and red substance lined the walls and stairs as he made his way downward. Once he got to the engine door he turned on the built in flashlight in his helmet and grabbed his purple lightsaber in his left hand and a button clicked, a whizzing noise sounded as a purple blade emerged from it's cold silver shaft. Tyranus walked caustically through the wrecked and ruined engine room. Butchered and bloodied bodies lied around the room, some so mangled making it hard to tell who they were by their face. Suddenly, some crates fell along with some smoke erupting from a ruptured engine tube. A strange black creature ran towards him and then opened it's mouth, it separated into four slimy parts with teeth lining each underside of the parts. It roared out a echoing and screeching roar that could be heard throughout all of the ship. Tyranus stood frozen in response before catching himself. He then gasped in horror as the create made it's way closer and closer to him, it's clawed footsteps making marks deep into the steel cold ground of the engine room.

Chit....

Was all Tyranus could manage before the creature jumped onto him, making him fall hard to the ground hitting his head against the side of a large engine. A purple blade stabbed into the creature's chest and then out of it's back, causing blue blood to fly in every direction and it landed with a splatting noise on the ground and upon Tyranus's armor. Tyranus stood up and made his way towards the door when he heard multiple roars at the same time. He ran to the door but something caught his right leg, one of the creature's clasped it's teeth onto Tyranus's leg. Tyranus grunted in pain and then kicked the creature off with his other leg. He limped towards the door and then gasped in relief on the other side and closed the door behind him, blood leaked from his leg as he limped back towards the bridge but something appeared behind him. A large blinding flash appeared and Tyranus found himself as a ghost near the wreckage of another Venator Star-Destroyer. He looked around at the ship, cold blue and lifeless bodies flew around the ship and he flew in closer to the bridge of the ship. Long black wires hanged from the roof and he saw a blue swirling vortex open and strange black creatures like the one's he saw before appeared through it followed by a floating steel throne with a large mechanical and goopy creature upon the throne. Suddenly, the scene vanished and he found himself making his way back towards the bridge. He limped through the doorway and breathed deeply, out of breath and his voice hazed.

T-the engine room i-it overrun!!

 

[Ignatius]

Location: Aboard the Archon
Objective: Complete Orders to the T
Gear: All can be found in my Link in the Sig.
People: [member="Vassara Raxis"], [member="Venris Helion"], [member="Tyranus Collik"],

Taking a look over the transparasteel view of the ship, I could see us lurch and then almost form right in front of the ship. Before I knew what I was doing, I grabbed Alex's arm and then grabbed onto the railing hard enough to make a permanent hand print into the metal. The ships nose rose high up to fly over the top of the ship that we had just came face to face with. And well, it looked like we were slowly being pulled into a small black hole. I looked around as people were rushing. Saying that we needed to defend the ship.

Nothing to really defend against except for the black hole really. One man decided to rush off to the engine room. I shook my head. Walking up to the Captain, I spoke, my words clear and filled with meaning.

"If may, We need to cut the shields down the lowest they will go without getting rid of them, and convert power to the engines to try and pull away from here. If we can't pull away with hyperspeed, then we need to with sublight far enough away to not feel this pull."

It was a long stretch, and one that could be devastating if we messed it up. We had only one chance.

 

[Andras Garon]

YTA-13OO Light Freighter
Enroute to Nemexia. On the Blood Trail

​

...the YTA-1300 had wheeled around in an about face, the engines powered up, as it started to makes its way out of range of the technobeasts particularly the large pustule looking one acting as an Interdictor. Andras had proceeded back into the ship where he took a ladder downwards to the manual controls of the second dual laser turret where he'd climb into the gunners seat and begin to lay down some suppressive fire. Up above the Mandalorian who'd climbed into the top deck turret was doing likewise and had been since the beginning. The Technobeasts followed behind the YTA-1300 unwilling to relinquish their prey despite the volleys being fired back at them. Actually the technobeasts proved quite adept at maneuvering in space, quick and agile, many of them dodged around the fire from the laser cannons more gracefully than any starfighter could have...

...the turret controls were a bit stiff, mechanical, the best Andras was able to do was clip one of the technobeasts and watch as it spiralled out of control behind the others before regaining control of itself. At one point he'd fired past the smaller creatures towards the large, bloated, technobeast that had been responsible for pulling the ship out of hyperspace but any volleys that managed to make contact were merely soaked up into the mass of organic mingled with the metallic. If Andras wanted to destroy the creature he'd need a bigger ship. Adjusting his efforts back to the smaller technobeasts he'd have cursed..."Damn."...his teeth grit..."They're closing on us. Divert power to the engines."...his voice rang over the comms before the Copilot responded with his concerns prompting Andras to state..."Just do it. Take power from the deflectors. These things aren't shooting at us and it'll be a lot worse if they catch us."...there was an affirmative causing him to mutter something before squeezing the trigger linking the laser turret and pouring on some firepower again...

...diverting the power caused the ship to slowly begin increasing in speed, allowing it to keep distance on the technobeasts rather than gain distance on them, the larger Interdictor Technobeast loomed in the background growing smaller. They were almost at the edge of its ability to keep them from entering hyperspace. Andras would shout over the comms again..."Almost there just keep up the fire."...a shot from the Mandalorian on the upper turret clipped one of the creatures and caused it to spin into another..."Nice shooting."...but there were still so many more of them..."As soon as we reach the edge of this interdiction field I want a course plotted. We need out of here."...then more laser fire as the YTA-1300 continued to outrun the technobeasts in a bid to escape their clutches. The Blood Red trail was living up to its name...​

 

[Venris Helion]

[member="Reclaimer"] [member="Tyranus Collik"] [member="Vassara Raxis"]

Venris had felt a burning sensation run down along his back prior to the sudden appearance of a horde of bio-mechanical monstrosities that were propelling themselves through the void between the two ships.

"Somebody fire up the outer defences!" Venris called out. "They're all right in plain view, we can cut them down to size by the time they get near us."

He tried to access the Archeron's defences from the main controls, only to find that like the engines the turbo lasers were dead. "Oh come on already, what else is broken?" He muttered. "If we could get the turrets back online we could make short work of these freaks-"

Venris paused as he heard Tyranus return from the engine room and listened Reclaimer offer a suggestion. "That might work if we had shields at all, this ship is all armour and no shields."

Venris rushed over to Tyranus and helped him away from the doors. "I'm going down there. Reclaimer and Mando, feel like helping me to clear the engine room? Oh and since you're new that translates to 'get your gear and follow me'." He activated his lightsaber while stepping out of the bridge, and waited for the Mandalorians to follow.

 

[Tyranus]

[member="Venris Helion"] [member="Reclaimer"] [member="Vassara Raxis"]
Right!

Mando nodded and equipped his weaponry and grabbed his machete and he followed Venris. Tyranus sat back down in a leather chair and rolled it over to a console, and he tried to reboot the ship's systems or at least the weapons. Then he felt a sharp jabbing pain in his right leg and a warm trickle and remembered his wound. He pulled up his pant leg slowly and looked at the wound the creature left on him. Their was a large bite wound on his right leg below his knee and it was oozing out blood quickly, Tyranus clicked open a cabinet and pulled out a first-aid kit and then began to clean the wound and wipe away the blood. Once the blood was away he looked at the gnarly wound on his leg, the bite marks reached deep into his leg and his right leg below the knee felt fractured and he took a handheld E-ray over it and he saw that his right ankle was broken.

Chit!

He began to wrap up his wound in gauze and then in bandaged. He grabbed a cybernetic casing from the kit meant for broken bones and he clipped it around his broken ankle. He still felt a sharp jabbing pain in his leg but it didn't feel as severe.

 

[Andras Garon]

YTA-1300 Light Freighter
Last legs of the Blood Trail

​

...zigging and zagging the YTA-1300 looked like it was doing evasive manuevers to avoid fire from pursuers but the reality was the ship was simply trying to shake the technobeasts that were on its tail again. Despite rerouting some of the ships power to the engines to increase its speed the technobeasts proved surprisingly quick themselves, drawing their own power to increase velocity from an unknown supply, they were slowly starting to gain ground. The Pustule Technobeast loomed in the background now unable to make speed of the Light Freighter however the ship still needed to content with its interdiction field which it was in the area of before any real escape could be made. The Double Laser Turrets manned by Andras and the other Mandalorian did their best to keep the small hostiles back away from the ship but there were just so many of them and they were so adept at dodging around the laser fire coming at them...

..."Come on baby hold together."...Andras muttered udner his breath, firing another volley from the turret he controlled, draining power from other systems on the ship wasn't beneficial to the YTA-1300 as a whole but it could repaired later on. A report from the copilot informed Andras that they were nearing the edge of the interdiction field..."Good. Keep pu----"...his voice was cut short when sparks ripped through a circuit nearby and the ship rocked. One of those damn technobeasts must have latched on in the initial encounter before they could see but Andras couldn't get a lock on it..."I don't have eyes on the hostile!"...he'd have barked loudly before ripping off the straps he'd buckled himself in with and climbing back up the ladder from turret control. More sparks could be heard and some smoke was smelt causing Andras to curse...

...some of the ship was on fire. Power was draining slowly. As he came back to the main deck Andras grabbed an extinguisher to use on the small fire that had come to life in the circuit panel that was sparking while calling out..."Get us out of here!"...they were close but not close enough yet. Coordinates had been plotted into the navigation computer but they couldn't use the hyperdrive while they were trapped in the interdiction field. Absolution came alongside a quick -pop- that rocked the ship and sent Andras onto his stomach as he fell but the Mandalorian pushed back up with a grim smile. "About time."...was all he said as he came back to his feet. Hyperspace had never felt so good. The Technobeast had likely been ripped off in the jump as well...​

 

[Andras Garon]

YTA-1300 Light Freighter
Nemexia

​

...hyperspace was a welcome contrast to what they'd all just been experiencing. The Technobeasts could have very easily destroyed this ship and they had their lives thanks to some exceptional piloting by the Mandalorian at the helm. Andras and the gunner were background noise compared the skill it took to shake those creatures. Back on his feet Andras would have taken the corridor down to the cockpit of the ship where he'd clap his associate on the shoulder before sinking down into his seat. Somewhere in all that commotion he'd lost his cigarro but the thick scent it left in the air lingered subtly and it was enough to ease the nerves of Andras which had stood on edge after the last of their two encounters. Elsewhere the gunner would have taken the ladder down from the laser turret and begun on repairs to the power cells of the Light Freighter damaged when the ship had pushed itself to the limit. No one was complaining though, elbow grease over a cold tomb in the black of space was welcome any day...

...they'd completed several jumps, logged several key coordinates along the Blood Trail and compiled some useful data. That said there was still plenty more data that needed to be compiled and pioneers answering the call put out would be in for their own surprises along the way. Andras sat back in his seat and felt exhausted, his was done with all this exploration for awhile, turning to his copilot he'd have asked..."Do we have an eta on Nemexia?"...the answer caused him to crack a bit of a smile before his gaze turned back to the console in front of him and he assessed the information they'd compiled. Key amongst the footnotes that Andras would place on his findings was the location of the Technobeasts with a special note on the Pustule Technobeast that served similar to an Interdictor for the others. Strange to think but maybe the creatures were incorporating more advanced technology into their base design. Andras could only hope that this information would assist other wayward explorers in avoiding a grisly death...

-------------------------------

...the YTA-1300 finally broke hyperspace a short time later. Nemexia loomed ahead of it causing Andras to lean forward in his seat and admire the vast deserts that covered the surface of the planet. In orbit he could see it all and it was impressive. The YTA moved towards the beacon that it could synch with to transmit data alongside a message..."AEL Management. We hope you'll find the data we've compiled useful. Til next time."...coordinates would be added as well so that payment would reach Andras and the men who'd come with him on this adventure. Another one for the books...​

​

[member="Selka Ventus"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Andras Garon"]'s data was impressive and useful. Apart from his payment, which was competitive, Garon was deeded one vintage Cater Coat, a piece of Force-resistant alchemy no longer available to the public.

 

[Ignatius]

Location: Aboard the Archon
Objective: Complete Orders to the T
Gear: All can be found in my Link in the Sig.
People: [member="Vassara Raxis"], [member="Venris Helion"], [member="Tyranus Collik"],

Well that is just great!

The shields of the ship weren't even there to begin with. So that meant the ship was literally going to hell in a basket. I shook my head, grabbing my rifle and storming past everyone down towards the engine rooms. At first my walking out was just loud and thunderous as I walked past everyone. Not caring where others were running to. I then began to run faster and faster. Even while Alex was soon going to have a little bit of a harder time trying to keep up with my running.

Blaster rifle in my hands. I rammed down the halls towards the engine room. Alex behind me, yelling for me to slow down.