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Post by Game Master on Jun 18, 2014 20:53:19 GMT -6
[GM Note: The is the chapter before the first major event, the invasion of a Collector base. This is a place saver. Additional text will be put up when Chapter 8 concludes] Once again, the Valiant was deep within the mass relay system, on its way to the Pylos Nebula. Wisps of dark energy flowed around the refurbished Turian frigate like water around a ship, leaving subtle ripples in its wake. The Valiant was completely radio silent, not even emitting the usual active sensors to announce its presence to any nearby ships. Rather, the ship's VI was monitoring other ship's ID signatures to evade them, though none have been detected so far. This stretch of the relay highway was avoided ever since the Collectors increased their activity in that region of space. The calm of the Valiant did not match what occurred within. The mercenaries each prepared in their own way, knowing the dangers of the coming mission. They were closing in on the previously uncharted Avarinos system. Their main advantage was surprise. The relay does not exit at Avarinos, allowing the Valiant to enter that star system at any point it wished. Deep within the heart of the Valiant, darkness stirred...... Nithian Book of Prophecy All the stars go out You are already dead It comes and you are all dead We are all dead Listen There is only small life Then there is this I send this Warn this There is only horror now There is only death now.
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Post by Maelstrom on Jun 18, 2014 23:00:50 GMT -6
Maelstrom took a deep breath, the story of his capture and Cerberus' initial attempts to brainwash him finally at an end. He felt like he had just been through an intense battle. Even his hands were sweaty. Very few people knew even the smallest portion of what he had just told the two asari. He never would have considered it had he not first confirmed their credentials with Sha'ira; Consorts had a strict policy on privileged information, one which would put to shame even that of human doctors.
Knowing he would be sharing such intimate details of his life, they had suggested meeting in his quarters on the Vengeance. They encouraged him to have a seat on the bed while they sat on the benches which extended from the walls. Rather than sitting and listening silently, they had offered sympathies, asked questions, and helped him through the story with the skill of the best counselors.
He opened his mouth to start in on the next chapter of the story, but Anelya held up a hand.
"We don't have to do this all at once," Enaya said. "We'll be on the Vengeance for several weeks, at least."
Maelstrom nodded. Though part of him felt disappointed, he felt much more relieved than anything. He was not sure he had the energy to go through the rest of the story. He felt weak, his hands trembling.
"You've been through a lot, telling me all that," Enaya said. "You should get your blood sugar back up. Let me cook you something?"
He nodded.
"You know, Jonathan, may I call you Jonathan?" Anelya asked.
Hearing his old name used by someone other than Emily hit him like a slap in the face. He could barely believe his ears for a moment. It took him a moment to form his reply.
"So long it stays our secret."
"I'm sure the others wouldn't respect you less for knowing your real name," Enaya said.
"Jonathan is a damaged man. Weak. He's not who I am when I'm with them," Maelstrom replied. "I'm Maelstrom."
Anelya was quiet for a moment before saying, "I didn't see a weak or damaged man. I saw a survivor. It's alright to accept being him, and it will only make you stronger in the long run."
"Maybe," Maelstrom conceded. "Someday."
"Mind if I use these?" Enaya asked, pulling out a half a dozen ingredients he had raided from the pirate's ship.
Maelstrom nodded his consent.
"Oh, and eat this," she said, tossing him a small, bluish square of food, several centimeters across.
He turned the food about in his hand a couple times. It was a thin wafer of some sort. Maelstrom remembered looting it from the room of one of the raiders, but he was not sure what it was. He carefully bit off a small mouthful. It had the general density and consistency of a cracker, but it was sweet like a piece of fruit. It seemed somewhat more wholesome than a lot of the rations he was used to eating. He made a note to ask her what it was some other time.
"When did you choose the name 'Maelstrom?'" Anelya asked.
Maelstrom laughed humorlessly. "That was when I finally escaped. Well, a couple days before, if I really think about it, I suppose."
She nodded. "A story for another time, then. For now, let's just relax."
"Would you like us to sing?" Enaya asked, as she started measuring some ingredients into a bowl.
Maelstrom felt a smile tug at the corners of his mouth despite himself. "That would be nice."
(Posted with GM approval)
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Post by Esteban Bridges on Jun 23, 2014 23:34:30 GMT -6
Esteban sat in front of his work bench in the cargo area, staring at the data pad before him. He finished running a series of tests on the artifact Iskra brought on board, now safely put back in its containment area to the left of the table. Esteban glanced over at the plain crate it was stored in, surrounded by small electronic devices creating a dampening field. Whatever that thing was, despite being inert, would not be able to harm anyone. Esteban was sure of it.
He leaned back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest. His dark eyes never left the data pad. There was something strange about that device, something he couldn't place his finger on yet. He never studied technology quite like that before. It resembled Collector tech, but it wasn't. Hell, he frowned deeply, he wasn't sure what it was meant to do.
"What do you do?" he muttered, snatching the data pad from the table. He flicked his hand over the screen, scrolling. "Why were you on Rakhana? Who put you there?" He was asking the same questions over and over, not getting any closer to an answer. The only thing he was sure of was that the technology resembled Collector technology. Any answers to this piece would probably be found on the Collector base his team was about to hit.
He was hoping to give Iskra some sort of update. She trusted him enough to examine it and he was hitting dead end after dead end. He took a breath, tossing the pad onto the desk with a quick flick of his wrist. He sailed, spinning in the air... landing easily on the table. He straightened up his tie before rising up to his feet.
"Data," he said, starting to head for the stairs. "Send a message to Dr Iskra. Tell her that I wish to meet with her later on for coffee and to discuss my findings. Then send a message to Mister Fischer. Inform him he can find me at the Command Station. I'll be there for a little while."
"Of course sir," Data replied, immediately sending the message to the two team members.
Esteban ascended the stairs.....
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Post by Joe Fischer on Jun 24, 2014 0:37:27 GMT -6
Joe was in the middle of his post-mission routine--specifically, cleaning his weapons--when the message came from Bridges, requesting to meet him at the command station.
He frowned. A lesson he had learned early on in his career was to never argue with a superior in public. When done in front of others, the superior's authority was being questioned, and he would come down hard and not budge an inch on the issue so as to discourage any further challenges; but if it was done in private, he would be more open to admitting any possible fault. So if the boss wanted a public meeting, this was not going to go well.
Can always ask him one more time for a private discussion, he thought as he sent a reply acknowledging he had received the message.
He reassembled his weapons, stored them away and made his way to the bridge.
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Post by Maelstrom on Jun 24, 2014 0:43:17 GMT -6
Maelstrom stroked the neck of large reptile which sat next to him on his bed, as he took a brief break from his work. A brief search from Emily described the creature as a Leviathanon, a reptile native to a relatively remote system and among the most expensive animals in the exotic pet trade. They were valued for their high level of intelligence and their demeanor. According to her database search, it was a carnivore with the capability to extend its ribs and a series of bones in its tail to turn its body into an airfoil. Adhesive disks on its clawed feet also made it a superb climber, a trait Maelstrom was already growing accustomed to. Its tank environment- minus the flame emitters (a decorative feature that Emily mentioned was not acutely dangerous but could be harmful in the long-term)- was set up behind the headboard of Maelstrom's bed.
The two Consorts had left his shuttle almost half an hour before, after sharing a delightful meal with him, leaving Maelstrom to mull over the things they told him while they saw to their duties and to the other members of the crew. Being idle irritated him, so rather than sit around and meditate on their words, he contemplated them while tending to his ship and possessions, letting his new reptile out of its tank as he did so. The first thing he did was to have Emily calculate the fuel consumed on their last mission, so he could submit an invoice for additional expenses to Bridges at the conclusion of their current contracted mission. He decided against doing the same with ammunition, since he was feeling charitable and looted more than he used from the pirates' ship.
With that done, he set to organizing his loot from the last mission. Most of what he took was intended for resale at the next port they came to, and he stowed those items in the cargo compartment placed above his quarters. Its access point was originally the main compartment, but shortly after acquiring the shuttle, he moved the access point, to provide additional security for his goods. To date, no one ever dared enter his quarters without having been invited.
Next was further organizing his foodstuffs to accommodate for his most recent acquisitions. A great deal of meat needed to be stored in his refrigerating unit, which necessitated organizing it in the most geometrically-efficient way rather than his preferred method of grouping foods by type. Fruits, vegetables, and processed foods also needed to be stored, and he managed that more quickly.
The ammunition he intended to keep was easily stowed in the armory afterwards, followed by the few items he wished to keep in his quarters. It was after that he decided to take his break, intending to begin on system diagnostics afterwards.
As Maelstrom stroked the bronze-colored scales of the creature, he was again amazed at how quickly it had come to accept him as a friendly presence. All it took was a few pieces of meat. He supposed that spoke to just how hungry the poor animal was. For a moment, he wondered if the creature always belonged to the pirate or if, at some point in the past, it had a proper owner. One who cared for it well.
A thought occurring to him, he directed Emily to open a channel. "Iskra, this is Maelstrom. I know you're not a veterinary doctor, but I was wondering if you would feel comfortable taking a look at a reptile I picked up on the pirate ship. If you would, I'm certain I could manage a good pot of tea and a bit of food."
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Post by Deleted on Jun 24, 2014 2:18:23 GMT -6
Iskra’s chest rose and fell like waves on the Kahje shore, relaxed as she sat cross legged on the end of the bed. The mantras barely audible as they left her lips, mind clear of all things. The various glass balls floating around in a biotic gravitational pull danced in silence as she used them as focus objects.
It was the first time on this trip she had been able to sit alone. Before the team had arrived, her and Esteban had many meetings on the object she had found on the homeworld. Speculation was fine but they were running out of ideas without any proof the object should have yielded by now.
Her mind was suddenly filled with whispers, quiet and unintelligible. The glass her powers were holding aloft began to waver in their fields. Her eyes squeezed shut as she tried to focus.
“Iskra.” The four spheres dropped, all but one shattering against the floor. She cursed in her native tongue, rescuing the intact ball from its resting place and placing it back in the carrier. “-comfortable taking a look at a reptile I picked up on the pirate ship. If you would, I'm certain I could manage a good pot of tea and a bit of food."
The young doctor sighed, looking down at the, once beautiful gift, she had received from a priestess as it laid smashed on the floor. Something was wrong with her, she did not know what, but now she knew she had something to worry about.
Opening back to Maelstrom, she answered in a soft voice. “I’ll be down in 5 minutes.”
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Post by Eric Lysander on Jun 24, 2014 8:25:46 GMT -6
Eric had set up a makeshift workshop in one of the storage bays where he kept his signature travel crates. After going through each of his armaments, adjusting their sights and running diagnostics on their mechanics, he took a moment to admire his latest acquisitions.
Just before leaving the Citadel with his crates he finally managed to find a dealer in the Lower Wards who was able to get him two spools of a few yards of detonation cord; pricey but worth every credit. A triangular-shaped cord lined with adhesive edges. One with a standard explosive core and one core that turned to plasma when triggered, good for cutting through light and medium strength metals and alloys.
But for heavily reinforced structures that might be found at the Collector base, there were the half dozen KV-503 seismic survey spikes Eric requested. As obtained, they could be operated with an omni-tool and provide their user with a highly detailed, three-dimensional sonar image of objects and materials underground with their relative densities. By increasing power input, tweaking the emitters to handle the load and accommodate mass effect fields, the spikes could find flaws in the materials they were embedded in and vibrate to their natural frequencies. The mass effect fields allowed one to target specific flaws, thus a couple of strategically placed spikes could pulverize a boulder, splinter it or break it in half.
Dressed in civilian clothing, an armless and collarless red shirt, black pants and knee-high boots, Eric picked up one of the survey spikes and unscrewed the top. He laid it on the plank in front of him and carefully pulled out the inner electronics, looking it over to see that everything was in order before he began modifications. Footsteps nearby got his attention.
“Is that you, Mal?” he called out.
Maelstrom had been spending quite a bit of time with the asari twins found during the rescue of the volus freighter they were traveling on, having proved their worth by assisting with subduing some of the pirate raiders. Supposedly aspiring consorts, in exchange for passage to the Citadel they volunteered their many skills and services to the rest of the Valiant’s crew. And the man in the Collector armor was first in line.
Lucky bastard, thought Eric.
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Post by PaladinKOSP on Jun 24, 2014 9:00:03 GMT -6
Artacus took a deep breath, observing his opponent carefully as he made his move. The holographic figure took one last swing at the turian, but Artacus strafes to the side, sending one final knee strike to the opponents stomach. The holographic image falls to the ground, disappearing from sight. The turian took a step back has he exhaled from his mouth, emitting a sigh.
Artacus was never really looking forward to this sparing match, since his opponent was just a fake walking and punching VI of sorts. He preferred to spar with real people.. but seeing that everyone was busy, the VI would have to do for now. Artacus walked back over to his belongings and picks up his trenchcoat, sliding his arms into it's sleeves. He sat down on the bench, looking around the gym. It seemed almost abandoned and dusty, luckily, the turian wiped off all the dust from the gyms appliances before he decided to spar.
He considered to just sit for a while, opening his omni-tool and searching through it.
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Post by The Hunter on Jun 24, 2014 19:34:33 GMT -6
"Bring up Data Cluster 4300-C99," a single green cube floated up in the darkness, rotating slowly. He reached out his hand, his three digits cradling the shape as one would hold a delicate glass sculpture. "Engage." The cube exploded, a veritable city of emerald light. Information pulsed around him, brilliant flashes of green, as he flew between the structures. Everything came to a stop setting him in front of a single gray square in a wall of green. His hands flashed to work, coding thousands of lines into the gray square, the color gradually shifting into the green spectrum...
Andrei sat up from the reclined chair the green holographic display around his helmet disappeared, his omni-tool shutting down as well. He yawned inside his sealed helmet, stretching his arms and flexing his fingers. The Quarian turned and looked at the completed machine beside the chair. "Finally. Now all that's left is to turn it on," he said out loud to no one in the cargo area. "But first, food."
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Post by PaladinKOSP on Jun 24, 2014 22:25:21 GMT -6
A flash emits from the omni-tool, along with the sound of constant beeping. Artacus pushed the holographic buttons of his omni-tool to see what it was. The following would read:
VOICE MESSAGE FROM:
T0GR15
Artacus typed on his omni-tool some more, pressing the 'play' button for the message.
"Hello Arty, I hope you're doing well on that mission of yours right now. Listen, I don't have time for a full blown conversation right now so I just sent you a voice message. Anyway, there's a file attach to this message that you should look over. It's important, and I'm sure that you'll get it done in no time. See you later."
The message ends with a beep, leaving Artacus to the file attached to the message. He scrolls down and presses on the file. A document with a video attached in the middle pops up on the screen. As the turian reads the document more and more, it becomes more clearer to him. The Hierarchy wants Eric Lysander, but why? He presses 'play' on the video attached to the document and it begins playing. It starts with turian ambassador typing away on his datapad, seeming a bit fixated to it. After a few seconds in, a figure of what seems to be a human sneaks up behind the ambassador and points gun to his back, squeezing the trigger of his pistol as the human shoots directly at the ambassadors heart. Artacus peered closer at the video, squinting his eyes at the figure. The human that executed the ambassador... it was Eric Lysander.
The following text below the video required Artacus to 'retrieve' Eric at all costs, lethal force is authorized.
The turian knew what he had to do. He stood up from the bench and deactivates his omni-tool, rechecking his sidearm and his gauntlets before he headed out. Artacus heard that Eric was somewhere around the storage bays the last he heard. The turian walked at a brisk pace, proceeding to his location. After a minute of walking to the location his target was residing, he looked and looked in each of the storage bays, until he found where he was. The human was tinkering with some of the stored weapons in the crates. The turian made his way toward the human, ready for anything.
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Post by Morgan Bryn on Jun 25, 2014 3:19:56 GMT -6
Morgan stretched in the confines of her hiding place, desperate to scoot herself into a more comfortable angle. She'd been hiding what felt like days... or maybe it really had been days. She'd lost count at this point.
When her job had gone awry, she'd ditched the fake uniform and jumped onto the first human-centric ship she could find. She had assumed they'd be heading back to Citadel space as quickly as possible, or at the very least somewhere a hell of a lot safer than Cartegena Station. A few days as a stowaway, then she'd planned to jump off at the next port, and no one would be the wiser. Yet, as time crept on, it was becoming painfully clear that she'd chosen the wrong ship.
Access to the extranet still seemed to be cut off, which meant she was doomed to keep herself occupied with what little was stored on her omni-tool at the start of her mission, which truthfully hadn't been much in the way of personal entertainment. To make matters worse, she had run out of the rations she had in her pack and knew she'd have to venture back out to scrounge for additional food and supplies.
Morgan winced as she rolled her neck, hearing it pop audibly. If she didn't at least get up and stretch soon, she'd likely go completely stir-crazy or suffer some horrible leg cramp and they'd find her when she started yelling uncontrollably anyway. Judging from the ambient sounds she could make out, she was guessing the ship was back in the relay system. The crew had quieted down, and she figured now was as good a time as any to see what she could find.
Disabling her omni-tool caused the crawl space to dim noticeably, but she couldn't risk the orange glow giving away her position. Grabbing her pack, she slung it over one shoulder and slid out of her hiding space into the ship's cargo bay. Crouching down behind some crates for a long moment, the young woman waited and listened for any sign of life.
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Post by Eric Lysander on Jun 25, 2014 8:07:30 GMT -6
The footfalls stopped with a rustle of armor against undersuit and stowed weapons. Eric lifted his head. Artacus stood there, looking a bit more grave than usual. Behind him there was a momentary hint of shadow that passed behind a crate. Eric thought he had the area to himself – apart from Maelstrom and his asari companions within his shuttle. It was probably a trick of the light. The N7 focused again on the turian.
“Oh, it’s you. I’ve already cleaned my weapons so I -uh- don’t really need a hand…”
No response or reaction from Artacus.
“You need a weapon modded or somethin’…? ‘Borrow’ one of my explosives? You can, but only if ya ask nicely…”
Artacus’s eyes continued to scan Eric. It then dawned on his quarry that this meeting was neither a social call nor seeking a favor. On their last mission together they never really spoke at length with each other. And there was a lingering unease from Maelstrom’s “possession” by the ancient technology of the Nithian Empire. It was Artacus who insisted that the mercenary should complete whatever task he was being forced to complete despite objection from others, in the hopes of learning more about the mysterious race whose descendants now maintained the Citadel. Eric’s instinct was to have Maelstrom freed but he hesitated, worried that interference could result in an even greater reprisal.
Or Maelstrom’s death.
Eric placed his palms down on the plank and rested some of his weight on them. “All right… what’s on your mind? Is this about Barce?”
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Post by Weyrloc Karn on Jun 25, 2014 9:54:51 GMT -6
The low sounds of machinery would generally hover around the cargo bay, the more solitude compartment of the ship surprisingly held one guest of it's own. Karn himself would be sat up atop a nearby crate, proceeding to clean away his shotgun with a somewhat slow pacing. It was his little friend, said friend being able to blow holes in quite a number of things.. Oddly for a krogan, solitude was chosen over being surrounded by others, himself taking on a more sentimental approach to whatever was going on. He was content for the most half, at least.. For now he was.
Karn would be facing the entrance to the cargo bay, to which he could view if anyone came by. Not like he minded it, company was always something nice to have.. It's something he just usually lacked.
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Post by PaladinKOSP on Jun 25, 2014 10:10:13 GMT -6
Artacus listened to the human as he tried to figure out what he was hear for, either to get a weapon mod or borrow a bunch of explosives. He didn't care about neither.
“All right… what’s on your mind? Is this about Barce?”
Artacus shook his head at the question, taking a step forward. "Barce is none of my concern." Artacus slips a hand into his trenchcoat and grasps his pistol, unholstering it and aiming it towards Eric. "You're my concern." The turian kept his gaze on the human in front of him, but still kept his eyes open for any bystanders or crew members that might attack.
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Post by Eric Lysander on Jun 25, 2014 11:40:42 GMT -6
"You're my concern,” said Artacus, pulling a pistol out from his trenchcoat, pointing it towards Eric.
Eric remained calm, his hands still on the plank, eyes squinting angrily.
“O-kaaay… do I at least get to know why I have a gun to my head? What’s the bounty on me? Who’d I piss off if it isn’t you? If I’m gonna be hauled away or whacked we should make sure everything’s on the level and… clean... shouldn’t we?”
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Post by PaladinKOSP on Jun 25, 2014 11:51:00 GMT -6
Artacus remained his focused stare at the human as he replied. He did have a point. The turian did intend on making this quick and clean in the first place, but telling him what his crime is would be a bit.. annoying, since most people plead that they're innocent. Regardless, he will explain. "Murder of a turian ambassador during the Citadel attack. Wanted by the Hierarchy." Artacus said as he maintained his distance from Eric.
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Post by Eric Lysander on Jun 25, 2014 12:06:02 GMT -6
Eric snorted. “Well, now that is interesting… considering I was nowhere near the Citadel at the time! I was still mopping up geth outposts in the Armstrong Nebula when word came in. By the time I got back aboard and we were getting’ ready to head underway Shepard already put an end to Saren’s party…! I assume you have ‘evidence’ to back this up?”
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Post by PaladinKOSP on Jun 25, 2014 12:11:41 GMT -6
The turian silent fumed, activating his omni-tool and goes to look for the video. After a minute a screen pops up from the omni-tool and starts playing the video. As of before it shows the same footage. Eric sneaks up behind the ambassador and shoots him in the back, the turian falling limp to the ground. Come to think of it, the video was quite.. strange. Two years after the Citadel attack they manage to find this footage now? He knew the Hierarchy worked faster than that. Something was off, so what if... Artacus kept his gun level at the human, his sight trained to his chest. If 'they' were behind this, he would have to follow along.
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Post by Eric Lysander on Jun 25, 2014 13:58:18 GMT -6
Artacus pondered the request and brought up his omni-tool, calling up and playing the security vid for Eric to see for himself. Pistol on him all the while.
It certainly looked a lot like Eric...
The human was clad in N7 armor consistent with the year the Citadel attack took place. The impostor came up behind the turian ambassador as he worked at his terminal, took aim and shot him square in the back without grace or flourish. Just a straight up execution performed under the cover of the invading geth armies...
Eric could not help himself, shaking and cackling loudly.
“HA-HAAH…. oh man… this vid’s tellin’ me too much… yeah… somebody paid good money for this frame…”
After settling down, Eric elaborated. “With hell exploding all around, I’m gonna risk gettin’ that close to a high value target without backup to cover my tracks. Easier to just launch a missile inta th’ place ‘n blame it on friendly fire. Whoever did this didn’t think it through. If all they wanted to do was make me look like a psycho killer, they picked the worst possible way to do it. If this footage leaks out it could start another war. Humans and turians goin’ at it again… and everyone else caught in th’ crossfire. Nothin’ the Council does will make ‘em back down this time… makes you wonder, don’t it?”
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Post by PaladinKOSP on Jun 25, 2014 14:21:47 GMT -6
The turian only glared at the human as he response. "Exactly.. that's why we are going to resolve this. Quietly, and peacefully" He asserted at the human as he walked forth. "Hands up and turn around. Now." Although he did agree with the human at some points, orders are orders. He raises his omni-tool and types down on it, sending a message to his job giver. "Suspect Eric Lysander is currently being arrested. Awaiting orders."
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