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Tassadar, wrenched with grief, visits Bronz in the hospital. She expresses remorse about the bloodbath in the dome, and for nearly getting Bronz killed. Obviously whatever happened to Rubiks'Nox and Kevlarn has upset her deeply. "Bronz, I haven't been entirely honest with you about my purpose here. I regret that I didn't tell you earlier. You deserve to know-" Tassadar explains the political situation in the Tsa Cluster in the year 2301. The Terran Empire and its colonies were fighting a savage civil war. The Tsa had spent untold eons in peace: bloodshed and warfare were anathema to their culture. Caught between pascifism and the need to defend their territory, the Cluster commissioned a corps of secret agents: spies, saboteurs, and assassins. Eschewing forthright fighting, these agents defended their species through cunning and stealth. "Don't worry: I was just on the business end of things. Since the whole theater of operations never officially existed, we needed smugglers and black marketeers to sustain the cash flow. And yes, I confess that I cheated quite a few human war profiteers. But that was the extent of my involvement." After the war, the Tsa had no clue what to do with the surviving agents. The cultural puritans argued that were too corrupted by violence to rejoin society. The fiercely patriotic agents requested to be placed under cryogenic suspension until the species needed them again. Many of the agents were awakened during the Second Human War. But Tassadar slept until late last year, after 200 years on ice. The Cluster had received troubling reports from the Verge. A mysterious race called the N'sss seems to be working with the Exeate; Tsa folklore contains terrible legends about them. Tass was sent here to assess the danger posed by the Exeate, and to construct an intelligence infrastructure. Concord operatives placed Tassadar onto the Wayfar for deep cover. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Bronz. but this was, and still is, highly classified information. Anyway, my goals and the Al-Karam's seem fairly compatible. Right now, I think we could use some official government support. My people can provide us with equipment and information; they can probably even contact the Concord and get the law off our backs. I realize you have no reason to trust me, but I hope we can still work together. Bronz Koveski listens intently as Tassadar talks, so caught up in her story that at times he even forgets that Tass is using a translator. He sits quietly after Tass finishes, thinking of what to say. Bronz Koveski: Tassadar, when you consider what "humanity" has brought upon itself AND done to others, such as the Sesheyan Compact, I cannot speak ill of you, nor am I angry. Perhaps others would be angry, and perhaps I should be, but I am not. You did for your kin what mine would have done - perhaps even myself given the situation presented as it were to your people. If you were on the Wayfar by design, then so be it; as far as I can tell you have done nothing more to jeopardize me than I have you, in fact we have likely come further together. Bronz Koveski: While I think the situation was bad back there, you didn't shoot me and no one forced me to go in there with you. I did what I felt would help Rubiks, and ultimately Alaax the most, I may have been wrong, but it was my decision to shoot the orb, it was my finger on the trigger. Bronz Koveski looks blankly down at his hands, considering his responsibility in what happened to Rubiks and Kevlarn. Bronz Koveski: I failed because I didn't act fast enough and because I was scared. I'd never admit that outside of this room Tass, but I was scared back there. Bronz Koveski focuses back on the situation at hand. Bronz Koveski: As you said, the Al-Karam seem to have a reasonable goal, assuming Yovas still trust us after losing Rubiks and Kevlarn, then we have work to do. Right now, we need to talk to Yovas to understand what happened back there. If you think it is safe for you to leverage your government for help, then I don't see any reason not to, besides I don't have any "misunderstandings" with them the way I've had with the Concord, so your Government is probably the best place to make new friends at this point, assuming they won't have issues with helping a non-T'sa. Bronz Koveski smiles weakly at Tassadar and extends an open hand in an old human tradition. From: James Nostack MONEY: $270,000 in cash. Currently we are using this as a joint bank account. CARGO: One (1 cargo unit*) Rhodium consignment. Rhodium is a mineral used in hyperspace travel: we can sell it for a big profit. Several (1*) boxes of Unknown Sparkly Rocks. These were aboard our starship from the very beginning. I don't know what they are, but it amuses me that we have them. WEAPONS: Three (3) Laser Pistols. One (1) Laser Rifle. Plus whatever we've got on the starship. MISCELLANEOUS JUNK: Four (4) T-KAT's, armed with laser guns. We can use these toaster-sized robots as security aboard our starship. One (1) weird mechanical locust. A strange, inert robot, possibly a specimen preserved for scientific study. Encrypted data files. Taken from the Tsa roboticist, Sethyk. Contents unknown. PASSENGERS: *Alaaxis. A young woman we were hired to escort to the planet Bluefall. Her uncle, Michael Kevik, is the president of the planet Lison. - After the Nexus incidence, Uncle Mike had her admitted to his personal wing of the hospital. She will not be accompanying the team anywhere. Tryce. An evil cyborg crimeboss with connections to the Exeate. Ready to be interrogated, but his minions may show up soon. *Now in ULS custody. |