Brown Dynamite Posted November 25, 2015 Posted November 25, 2015 "Galstandard makes translators obsolete unless we're on an undeveloped world. In which case they probably don't have credits, so who cares what the locals have to say." Roulette answered. Before making a snarling noise and biting the air. As he spoke in Jereid, the language of the alligator like alien race of the same name. <"Cost less to just learn another language."> The Zultasian rolled his eyes at the promise of excitement.. "The one eye guy's still a mentat y'know. More exciting, doesn't mean guaranteed pay." He added. "Fine, have it your way. Bliss says chittering bug is on the menu for dinner. So, let's double up on the alcohol this refueling stop." Roulette had casually changed the subject. Temporarily getting his fill as it became entirely clear they were taking the passengers and that Ruby had already started negotiations. A ship running on fumes, and that would have to likely need explaining to the local authorities as they leave it sitting there. Especially after that landing.
TheAbsurdist Posted November 25, 2015 Posted November 25, 2015 What did she have to add, really? They showed aggression, and they were cutting in on her insect eating time. She had minimal patience to contend with, at this point. Sure they talked to Ruby, but she didn't know what in the Burning Water they wanted, and she was a bit on a mission, as she made her way down the ramps to get to the rest of the dock proper, looking for a place that sold some of the local food that she liked. She stopped and turned back to look at them. They were talking to them. She knew what came next, she lifted her hands for a moment, and made her way back. Well at least there wasn't going to be fight with them yet. That was good, right?
Avenger Assembled Posted November 26, 2015 Author Posted November 26, 2015 Sea Devil and Singularity followed the Voidrunners to the nearby settlement where they were supposed to look for their bounty at his favorite dive bar. Pantanel's nearest watering hole was like any other working-class dive bar in this part of space for the Voidrunners, a perfectly typical place with the stink of various intoxicants in the air, a motley crew of patrons, staff, and others eyeing them from darkened corners of the room, and a four-armed blue-skinned musician playing an obscure set of woodwinds in the corner. For Aquaria and Jessie, though, it was a scene from another world! They hung back, eyes wide, at the exotic scene like something from a Terran science fiction movie. After a moment's hesitation, though, Aquaria muttered to herself, "No one is looking at me," words that the patrons, and the Voidrunners, could all understand - cheap bar this was, someone had evidently sprung for an area translating field, probably because of the number of impoverished workers who couldn't afford translation implants. "No one is looking at me!" Aquaria croaked to Jessie, loud enough that people started looking at her - startled, she put her big hands over her mouth, and decided to stay close to the inside of the door.
Electra Posted November 27, 2015 Posted November 27, 2015 "What?" Jessie asked, most of her attention focused on deciding whether or not any of these strange aliens were dangerous. The ones from the ship seemed dangerous, but they knew Wander and they'd agreed to take them home, so Jessie figured they'd have to take the risk. Surely they had to be less dangerous than being found by the Spectrum Knights, and less unpleasant than trying to spend the rest of her life here in the swamp. The workers in the bar seemed mostly less dangerous, though some seemed like they could be aggressive, especially if someone started croaking loudly at them. She looked over to her friend. "Um, I thnk it's probably better if they don't look at you, right? I mean, with the... everything?" She shrugged uncomfortably, then looked at the Voidrunners. "Is your person here? Should we get him?"
Darksider42 Posted November 28, 2015 Posted November 28, 2015 Not long after entering the bar, Ruby's helmet retracted back into her armor. "Right then. And where do you think our targets like to hide?" Ruby said as she shook her head. She checked her wrist comp one last time. The ships was logged and ready for sale. Thanks to overly complicated intergalactic trade agreements, the ship Jessie and Sea Devil gave her was able to be listed for sale. If and when someone decides to collect is a different matter. Scavengers were also a possible problem. Guess I should hunt down the mentat after all. "Translator field. Everyone here can understand you. And hear you." Ruby said as she sat down, looking a little puzzled at Sea Devil. "What we dug up on him says he should be showing here. You have any experience with mentats and psychics?" She asked. If they were as dangerous as Ruby assumed, they could help out. Or become liabilities. The only real variable that came with these sorts of targets was what they could do.
Brown Dynamite Posted November 29, 2015 Posted November 29, 2015 "Why would anyone be looking at you? Unless you're running for office or blown up a ship lately even then this is a pretty backwater planet." Roulette asked. Smirking as the question gave him a bout of inspiration. He then stepped forward and cupped both hands in front of his mouth. "Bartender, a round of drinks for everyone. Paid by the galaxy's most determined bounty hunter Ruuuuby Vooooox." He specifically pointed at Ruby so she couldn't pass the payment duty to him. However, Roulette was actually not trying to annoy Ruby. That'd be a bonus. It was actually a calculated gamble to see how the patrons would react to the presence of a bounty hunter. If no one got jumpy, it'd at least cut the time it'd take to grease up the bartender some. Worst case scenario it'd lead to a bar brawl. But, that's where Bliss came in.
TheAbsurdist Posted November 30, 2015 Posted November 30, 2015 One could call the look she shot Roulette as flat. Though she was alien seeming as Sea Devil, humanoid, but not human, or human like, her inner eyelids closed before the regular ones did and she shook her head, and smoothed back the flanged tendrils off her head. She had taken to wearing rings and trinkets on them, though they were hardly problematic. She did, generally, have something on that was smeared in a dye or ink that was more reactive to infrared light, something that she saw better than her compatriots, so she wasn't always so pragmatic, she just was selective with what she was advertisements. Right now she had a hand over her brow, cupped a little against the light, and she sighed a bit, understanding what Roulette was doing. It happened a lot. But it was a good ruse, and oftentimes she could glare them down without trying. While not small, she was bigger than the stink ape females, and that time as a gladiator meant she could be theatrical and imposing when she wanted. Bliss moved to where the food was, ordering some, because she had been looking forward to the local cuisine for the awhile, and neither had the battery acid finish of the things that her crew mates favored. Or the bland nutrations. Soon she had a bowlful of some grilled and seared arthropod, and was happily munching away, making happy chirrups and rasping noises.
Avenger Assembled Posted December 2, 2015 Author Posted December 2, 2015 Roulette's ploy seemed to work remarkably well. Most of the bar crowd, energized by the prospect of free drinks at the hands of a famous bounty hunter, soon were swarming around the bar, chatting up a storm with the pilot and bounty hunter who had dared pit her ship against the Gorgon itself! (The stories had been somewhat changed in the telling.) If anything, the problem was the sheer press of the crowd. Out the rear of the bar, though, Roulette's sharp eyes spotted a man sneaking away, a lion-faced Anglian with his hood drawn high around his thick mane of brown-green fur. Pushing his way through the crowd, the man headed straight for the rear exit, obviously ready to disappear. Meanwhile, Aquaria was watching Bliss eat with fascination. "Wow! Are you aquatic?" she asked the other female with interest in her translated voice. "I thought everyone in space was another kind of Surfacer. Hey, are you gonna eat that?"
Darksider42 Posted December 3, 2015 Posted December 3, 2015 Ruby put a smile on her face as she started to find herself swallowed by the crowd. While she was mildly annoyed with how the story had changed, she did have to admit that tracking down the Gorgon and surviving an encounter with it was in of itself impressive. Wonder what Zorla and the rest of the clan would think of that... Rubys fingers quickly danced along a holographic screen. Anyone bothering to look hard at the fine writing would see:Accounting Expenses: Bar Tab.Factoring in Expenses in Post Payment Split for Quarry. Affected parties: Roulette.As smart as it was for flushing out targets, she did wonder if Roulette remembered who dealt with the bounty money. Besides, dipping into other people wallets without asking was rather rude. Though that thought was interrupted by the sight of someone trying to not so subtly leave the bar. The throng of people would make it hard for her to give chase. Her eyes darted around the room for some solution before falling once again on the Singularity. "See the alien with the hood? Don't let him leave." She told her while trying to move through the crowd.
Brown Dynamite Posted December 3, 2015 Posted December 3, 2015 Roulette examined the man's path and rather than chase after him began slinking off to the front entrance. Seeing as it would be the least congested of people thanks to the crowd created by Ruby's 'generous' offer. He was able to catch Ruby whispering something to Wander's relative with the striking resemblance. But, was just far enough out of reach to not hear what it was. His plan of action was to walk around the outside of the bar. Catch the fleeing man from the front.. No doubt Ruby was setting things in motion for him to be caught from behind. But, it was good to have a beta plan. His method also had the benefit of him not actually having to do anything if whatever Ruby and Singularity had planned went off without a hitch.
Electra Posted December 6, 2015 Posted December 6, 2015 Jessie looked at Ruby and nodded unquestioningly, then slipped away through the crowd. Unencumbered by Ruby's sudden popularity, and with the sort of aura that tended to make people take an unconscious half-step back, she moved through the crowd like water. Her attention was entirely focused on her target, so that the strange people, the strange music, the strange smells, all of it just faded into the background where it couldn't make her nervous. She caught up to the man in the hood just as he was about to leave the building. Locking her hand around his arm in an implacable grip, she told him, "Sorry, you are not allowed to leave right now."
Avenger Assembled Posted December 8, 2015 Author Posted December 8, 2015 The arm came off in Singularity's hands. For some reason, this didn't strike her as terribly unusual. What was unusual was there was no blood or sound of cracking bone, just the startled look on the man's face as he pulled away, mechanical limb twisting in her implacable grasp. Soon that startlement turned to fury, however, as slippery black fluid poured from his billowing sleeve, transforming itself into a tentacled dark limb until the humanoid digit Singularity had accidentally pulled away. "BOUNTY HUNTERS!?" he declared, bellowing a malignant laugh as his left eye glowed with unnatural eldritch energies. "YOU THINK BOUNTY HUNTERS CAN STOP THE CHURCH OF THE MUTILATED GOD?!" As he shouted, face flushing white and mustache shaking, the barflies were sensibly retreating behind Ruby Voxxx, the hero of the hour. "I WILL DESTROY YOU ALL!"
Electra Posted December 11, 2015 Posted December 11, 2015 Singularity didn't bother to look back to Ruby or even to Aquaria for instructions. She understood exactly what needed to be done in these circumstances. These circumstances were, she sometimes thought, probably the only thing she was actually good at. Swinging the severed arm in one hand like a nightstick, she closed in on the shrieking eldritch alien. "Your mutliated god is dead," she told him evenly, "and so are you. You won't destroy anyone today." She brought the arm up, smoothly as if it were a baseball bat, and delivered a blow to his head that made it krong like a a very sour bell. It was a good, solid hit, but he didn't seem nearly as dead as she'd epecred. She was going to have to work harder on that.
TheAbsurdist Posted December 13, 2015 Posted December 13, 2015 She looked at Aquaria when she approached. "Hrm." And then came a loud crunch as she ate the arthropod, her 'teeth' shearing through the shell like it was nothing. Of course she didn't get to enjoy it long enough as shortly after Aquaria asked her question did something decide it wise to say something. "Not... really from the waters." Bliss glared at Roulette, it was his fault after all. She had been looking forward to this the whole time, and now, well... dammit. Grabbing the last one and popping it into her mouth, she threw the plate at the... whatever it was, aiming for his face. Following after the plate she went for a wild haymaker at the start, hoping that by just connecting with a savage blow she might take it out
Brown Dynamite Posted December 22, 2015 Posted December 22, 2015 Roulette who had rounded the corner fired an optic blast at their target's feet. Or to be more accurate a few inches away from his feet. Really, the Zultasian was just attempting to get his attention. The attack nothing more than an act of deception. To make him pay attention to the direction he came in. The threat of a second shot hanging in the air. "The whole violence thing is so passe? Especially when the result is obvious. I once saw Bliss pull out a Grue's tongue with her tentancles and feed it to another Grue. Don't even get me started on that one. You ever hear of the Terror of Garron-9. That's her right there. Tore a massive deformed cybeformed giant in two. With one hand." His eyes darting around the room as he spoke. Making sure to confirm that Ruby got the hint with a slight nod of confirmation. Take the shot already.
Avenger Assembled Posted December 22, 2015 Author Posted December 22, 2015 After a vigorous struggle, the Voidrunners and their new friends subdued the 'priest' - whatever his power was, he only seemed to be able to use it on one being at a time, and the group en masse was too much for him to handle. Sea Devil and Singularity had both contributed to the fight, Aquaria by leaping in and giving the guy some solid kicks to the midsection, while Jessie had stayed in the fight, delivering powerful head-punches, right to the very end. By the end of the encounter, the alleged mentat was unconscious and covered with several marks of laser fire, as well as a nice set of bruises that left one eye swollen shut and several teeth missing. Jessie, with her her fantastic strength, had even picked up a steel beam and wrapped it around the man's legs, making sure there would be no easy escape. There were steel beams aplenty - because between one thing and another, the tavern was now on fire. The local lowlifes had all fled at the first sign of danger, of course, leaving the hard-working bounty hunters to subdue the rampaging foe while at the same time trying to fight the flames. They'd done the first better than the other, naturally enough, albeit at the cost of some property damage. Luckily, nothing else seemed to be burning save the storage shed out back where the proprietor had no doubt brewed his unlikely concoctions. Standing outside and watching the flames, Aquaria put her big hands over her even bigger mouth and looked at the others in alarm. "Will we be in trouble?"
TheAbsurdist Posted December 23, 2015 Posted December 23, 2015 Bliss was almost wistful after the fight, where was she going to get more of these tasty little things? Sighing, she pulled something out of hip pocket, and then moved over to the flames and reaching out, catching what was in her hand on fire as she lifted it up to put it between her lips, and started to puff at the thing, creating a bitter, acrid smelling smoke that hung heavily around her face. The cybernetics shimmering under/in/on her purple skin as she moved back towards the others. "Xcht! Like the darkness chases the great eye, does trouble follow us." Came out what she said, which was a bit more literal than her response of 'We're always in trouble,' which could be chalked up to a damaged translator, and her reverting to her native tongue, which tended to be a bit flowery. Though that first sound was something she could make that was hard to translate, a guttural expression of acceptance to that fate.
Brown Dynamite Posted December 24, 2015 Posted December 24, 2015 "Trouble. That's just the exit siren." Roulette replied. Nodding towards the direction of the ship all the while. While he was all too happy to hear his own voice rattle off. That was probably best left when they couldn't be charged the price to repair arson damages. At least we were able to keep the damage to one building this time. Two if you count that second one. The Zultasian wasn't overly concerned with the situation in front of them. Assuming that they would be gone before it turned into a real headache. They'd have to cross a few more parsecs before he'd look forward to speaking to whatever corrupt lawman was assigned to this post.
Electra Posted December 27, 2015 Posted December 27, 2015 "We should probably go," Jessie agreed, picking up the subdued prisoner, steel beam and all, with no visible effort and slinging him over her shoulder like a sack of grain. "We can interrogate this one on your ship and see if he's going to be dangerous. He's stronger than a normal human." She frowned over this fact, still somewhat nettled by the fact she hadn't been able to take him out with simple punching. All was well that ended well, but it was still a blow to her pride, especially after the way she'd faltered in the battle with the Spectrum Knights. Wander had once told her that fighting was all they were good at. Wander was very good at fighting, but if Singularity had lost all her skills, what did she have left? She pushed aside that unnerving train of thought for now and gave Aquaria a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry you didn't get to go swimming. Maybe we'll find another world like this sometime."
Darksider42 Posted December 29, 2015 Posted December 29, 2015 "Property damage seems to be a recurring theme in our jobs" Ruby said, wiping ash off her armor as she got away from the blazing inferno. While she did not intend for a fire to be lit in a bar, she was quite willing to be back in the endless silence of space before she got pinned with the blame. And the repair costs that came with that. She was pretty sure it was Roulettes fault somehow though. Ruby will admit she was impressed by the raw strength that Singularity possessed. Bending metal like that required extensive cybernetic modification and she was pretty sure that was not what gave the young woman her powers. "We have cell onboard the Voidrunner, Just drop him in there and we can get going."
Avenger Assembled Posted December 29, 2015 Author Posted December 29, 2015 Back in the Voidrunner, Aquaria helped deposit the prisoner in the ship's small holding cell. "Well!" She croaked cheerfully, turning to the others with a giant smile on her amphibious face, as Jessie stepped out of the cell, the prisoner's ersatz restraints in hand, "that's that!" Casually, she placed a hand on a wall sensor as the security field crackled to life, holding their prisoner in place - and activated the Voidrunner's internal communications systems. They weren't muted, there was never any reason to do that, and so the grand moment happened directly outside the cell of the recently arrested prisoner. The display hologram crackled to life, a glowing (albeit immaterial) barrier that divided Aquaria and Jessie from the others. The display, double-sided so both fugitives and bounty hunters could see it, showed The aquatic humanoid seemed to leap in front of the 'camera', screaming something that the displayed subtitles read as "No! Leave her alone, you monster! Space is full of MONSTERS!" Neglecting the double tridents she held in two long-fingered, triple-digited hands, the amphibious creature dealt out a savage kick that knocked the 'camera' backwards some half-a-dozen feet. An instant later, a blue flash seared the image almost dark, the displays on each side of the screen suddenly and almost immediately flat-lining. "For involvement in the murder of a Star Knight and suspected terrorist activities..." Aquaria and Jessie, in the awkward attempts at a full-body hologram that the computers had to make when no formal identification images had been made. "The Terrans Sea Devil aka Aquaria Innsmouth, Singularity, aka Jessie/Erin White..." A figure flashed to life, from the perspective of the Voidrunner crew forming a glowing halo around the real Aquaria and Jessie on the other side of the corridor. "...183,600 units of element 79, or the sum of 100 million credits, will be delivered if both can be brought alive and uninjured to the Grand Shipyards of Altinak C. Suspects are considered armed and dangerous." As the holograms began repeating themselves, Aquaria stared at the bounty hunters - and ignited her tridents. A hum of restless energy struck the air as she held the two weapons at her side, tines pointed up, and said, fear pulling at the edges of her deep voice, "That was us, wasn't it?! They told you about us! About all the lies!"
Electra Posted December 29, 2015 Posted December 29, 2015 Jessie moved instantly, almost too fast to see, stepping in front of Aquaria. "No, you can't!" she reminded her friend. "You don't know how to work those properly yet, somebody else could get hurt." She turned, giving her back to Aquaria and clearly standing between her and the Voidrunner crew. "We don't want any trouble," she told them, her voice shaking only a little, but enough to bely her calm facade. "But we didn't do anything wrong. We were kidnapped, and lied to, and attacked, and we ran away. We just want to get home." She had no weapon, but her hands were in loose fists, her stance ready. If there was going to be a fight, she would fight to win.
TheAbsurdist Posted January 2, 2016 Posted January 2, 2016 Bliss made a sound, a low, guttural sound. Her arms remained folded across her chest. It's chest? It wasn't really something that had been established. Her people were non-mammalian, androgynous, and largely insular. She walked towards the two, and stopping looking at them, and was looking at the projection. Reaching out she manipulated the interface and just turned off the display. She shrugged then, and turned to move from them, she understood their response. Given the nature of how the three Voidrunners had gotten together... But any attempt at platitudes from her would seem off, so going about business as usual was nominally the best, as she went to the engine room to do a check before they got off this rock.
Darksider42 Posted January 3, 2016 Posted January 3, 2016 "I don't think you quite understand..." Ruby said to theme as she watched the hologram play out between them, arms crossed. At least until Bliss decided to shut it down. "You've been charged with killing a Star Knight. This is serious enough to put a bounty larger than what you could possibly afford. Plus even if we did get you home you would still be hunted until you are captured or disintegrated by accident. You will always be running." There was also the fact the Voidrunners could get labeled as criminals, lose their licences and find themselves pursued across the galaxy. That was the last thing Ruby wanted for the crew and herself."Your options are pretty limited."
Avenger Assembled Posted January 4, 2016 Author Posted January 4, 2016 Aquaria's big eyes flicked downward, and she remembered black words on a screen, her first understanding that Surfacers could write stories that meant something. "All the world will be your enemy, Prince With A Thousand Enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you..." Aquaria quoted one of the few pieces of Surfacer literature she'd truly understood - or thought she had, anyway. "Jessie's sister is the mightiest warrior of our world - and we live in a nest of warriors. Once the first hunters are defeated, the others will stop coming, no matter how many treasures they give them." Cautiously, she put the tridents away, the green glow in her hands fading into nothingness - but her suit still gleamed with power. "When I was young," she croaked, "I used to float on the sea and look up at the sky and imagine who swam in the oceans of the stars. But it's worse here than the Surface. Everyone wants to use you, or hurt you, or hunt you. The Spectrum Knights are murderers, the Star Knights are monsters, and the Praetorians wanted to lock us away for no reason. I just want to get Jessie home. Everything that's happened to her out here is my fault."
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