Mass Effect: Chronicles (IC)

[Dizzyfish]

Atina'Evna nar Io

Alec was rather quiet when they stepped off of the bus, as if contemplating her questions. Did she hit a sore spot? It was not her intention of course, but she wanted to know more about the human she would be spending a lot of time with. What he thought about when he was standing all brooding and macho. Perhaps what his plans were for the future, if he even saw himself living long enough to find that out. Most guys like that, for hire that is to say, never really thought too far down the road; for their line of work often led them to a chest or head full of thermal rounds. At least, that's what Atina pictured. When you lived a dangerous life, how could you hope to live long enough to tell the tale?

Or maybe he was just bothered, not by the question, but being questioned in general. It was hard to just up and reveal your life's story to a complete stranger, though Alec and Atina were probably a lot closer to friendly acquaintances, rather than complete strangers. Either way, she wanted to know SOMETHING about him, anything that would prove he was truly human, not some scary creature wearing the face of one. Alec was statuesque, pristine in his own right. Part of him still had to be human right?

When he finally did answer her questions, she was relieved. Even if he was bothered by it, at least he had the decency to pretend otherwise and just go along with it. As if he had a choice. It would be hereby known that every single day they were together, Atina would ask him an in-depth question, in order to learn more about him. Of course, that was sounding like a death sentence, it would be worth it in the end. Who knows? Maybe Alec would come around! Maybe he would start talking without first having been asked too. And maybe the Geth will start wearing pink satin bows... and who are we kidding? Atina laughed quietly to herself. At least one of them was finding the humor in their relationship.

"You think too analytically Alec. I know that sounds strange coming from a Quarian whose main interests are Prothean artifacts and engineering. Sometimes fate likes to steer the reigns, as it is her job." She paused. "You should find yourself a pretty little human wife who is okay with long periods of silence and takes solace in being stared at by a statue. How many of them in the universe you think there are? Probably lots. Anyways, I am carrying on again."

The Quarian girl looked down at the terminal and then back at Alec as he explained her duties. She stepped in his place once he moved far enough out of the way and brought up the Pilot's information on her omni-tool and entered the numbers. The map charted their course and revealed a large glowing dot that was their destination. "According to this, it's right around that left corner." She paused again, this time, only to take a single breath. "Are you even in to human women? How about Krogen women? Do you like the strong scary type? I need to know for... research purposes." As the two started to walk side by side around the first corner, a line of ships came into view. Their pilot should be just up ahead by now. SHOULD be. Whether he was or not, was a whole different story.

 

[pimpmar]

Dante Alaniyum

At this point, Dante was confident that he had lost his tail. He counted no more than three, and one of them was lying face up in an alleyway, with a coup-de-grace looking wound in the center of his forehead. Every fiber in his body screamed at him to take off, break out of orbit and make himself scarce. He could always find more work. He could always keep running. He was Dante fucking Alaniyum, and he knew he was the best pilot this side of the Attican Traverse.

But he also understood that these clients were willing to pay, and were offering him a challenge. He knew, whether from intitution or some sort of premonition that this job would be a big one. And he also knew that first impressions were the most important. Well, second to a shoot out.

He had already stopped his mad dash, now in a leisurely stroll. He had taken the complete scenic route, and was approaching the dock from the complete other side of normal civilian traffic. Sure, he broke a few laws by sneaking in through the security only entrance, but fuck 'em, he'd be damned if he would be made to walk around the port AGAIN.

He came up from behind the "Exodus", inspecting her with a practiced eye. She had remained un-touched, and from the exterior, looked gleaming and ready to go. Internally, her engine was being held apart by little more then a wish and a dream, and her aft cargo bat was still half-melted. Perhaps this job would cover those repairs.

He popped the hatch, sitting on the ramp up to the ship. Here, he'd wait for his customers. Here, he'd get rich. On second thought, maybe sitting beneath the ship wasn't a grand idea. It wouldn't be long before his tail returned to watch the ship. Perhaps he should-

Too late. He watched a Quarian and a human turn the corner. His clients.

 

[Nidhogg]

-Alec Kaiser-

"Research purposes." Alec would have found that line unusual, but he heard that from Khail more times than he could remember. The only difference was that Atina probably wasn't serious. Any time Khail found a challenging and unusual topic, he wanted to research it and write about it. "Cross-species mating rituals" was research project #2403 or something for Khail.

"Fair warning, Miss Evna. I won't be answering too many questions until we negotiate the exact terms of my contract. If you want me to answer personal questions, I suggest you put a clause for that in the contract." As soon as Alec said that, he regretted it. He was completely certain that Atina would add a "personal conversation" clause. His only hope was to change the topic quickly and hope she forgets. "You know, that type of...research...can easily be done on the extranet. Of course in some areas of the galaxy, you might not be old enough to view those sites."

Alec had only met one or two krogan women in all of his travels. He couldn't be sure of the exact number, because of how hard it was to distinguish between the males and females. The question about whether or not Alec liked human women amused him. He didn't show any physical indication that it amused him, but it was funny. Wandering around the galaxy, Alec learned to take what he could get, as long as he wouldn't need medical attention later.

They rounded the corner to the docking bay, and found the Exodus waiting for them. Alec knew a enough about ships to get by, but Atina would obviously have more insight on to how the Exodus performed. Alec was just impressed by the aesthetics. It was a beautiful ship.

 

[Avellan13]

Vincent Anastasio

The days went by as a blur. Vincent had lost track of time. Days and night were different of this planet than they were on Earth. The ship had gone "dead" and only had a flicker of power, which he had directed to keeping the emergency distress signal up and running.

Unknown to Vincent, he was losing his sanity. The months of isolation, fatigue, stress, and other hardships he had faced were affecting him.

After the battle with the monsterous scorpian and resting up, Vincent had stripped the carcass of it's exoskeleton and had shaped and molded it into a form of armor. It was a unique thing, the exoskeleton. It trapped in heat during the nights on the planet and reflected the heat during the day time, thus making his survival against the elements easier.

 

[Dizzyfish]

Atina'Evna nar Io

"Alec! What kind of girl do you think I am to do something so insidious and demented as writing up a contract in which you have to talk to me every day at least twice in order to get paid? I am very appalled." Atina put her hands on hips to emphasize her disgust all the while still keeping up with Alec's pace. She had touched base with the idea awhile back, but it wasn't in her mind to include it in his contract, making the transaction binding and legal. It was an enticing idea, however, she would not suffer Alec such an uncomfortable contract. Atina will just be as optimistic with her line of questioning that he will feel obligated to answer if he wanted peace and quiet in the near future. That thought made her smile. "Such things are beneath me. I have a much more persistent method of getting what I want. If you talked to my brother even once, he would tell you."

They were closer now to Atina's pilot. Regardless of what he had decided based on her message, he was her pilot. This gut feeling within her told her so and she did not usually go against what she felt. This was the man that was going to take them to dangerous places that few dared to go. At least, that was what her hopeful adolescent mind had confirmed for her. Nothing could go wrong from this point on. Obtaining Alec had been without opposition, the same would go for this transaction. No problems. No hassles. Just smooth sailing towards Pylos Nebula. They were going to have tea, there would be laughter and merriment and there was so much joy in finding Prothean ruins having yet to be uncovered. And it was to their credit it was found. They would be heroes.... Yes, such a beautiful make believe world she had constructed within her mind to keep her of sound nerves.

"Wait. Why wouldn't I be old enough? I am a full grown woman! I demand you show me what you speak of when we get a moments rest. For now, there is our pilot!" She exclaimed happily and closed the gap between Dante and herself. Leaving Alec a few steps behind. "Mr. Alaniyum! It's a pleasure to meet you face to face. Thank you for speaking with us on such short notice." Atina held out her hand for Dante to shake, her eyes flickering rapidly from behind her mask to exaggerate her sunny disposition.

"My name is Atina'Evna nar Io. And this is my colleague Mister Kaiser. Let me start out by saying you have a lovely ship. I bet her schematics sing like the angels, Sir." This was the most exciting thing that had ever happened to her, ever. Why not relish in the feeling it gave her? Who knows? Perhaps Alec would have a playmate now and he could get off that grumpy elcor he is riding on.

 

[pimpmar]

Dante Alaniyum

Dante was dimly aware that he was being spoken to. But at this point, his eyes and entire attention span varied no further than a pin-head from Alec. He had the look of a dangerous man, a killer. And worst of all, he was human. If Dante hated one thing, it was humans.

His ears finally tuned into the word coming from the bubbly little Quarian. She was jabbering away, and he knew he should've been listening, but his combat senses were tingling. His fingers laid on the butt of his pistol, waiting for the human to make his move. But, of course, he didn't. A predator recognizes a predator, and a smuggler recognizes a client.


He shook the proffered hand, grunting in acknowledgement. He chuckled, biting on the word 'Angels'. Tell me, girl, how many times have you had C-Sec and three pirate warships breathing down your neck, as you smuggle a cargo hold full of Turian spice rum through the Perseus Veil? You seem a little too excited. Are you sure this is the adventure you want?

He came across as harsh, but he had to. She seemed to eager, and her bodyguard seemed to grim. And he was bitter about his ship. Once they saw his engine, they'd be in awe of the power capability. Once they saw that it was falling apart, they'd probably want out. Better to get paid now.

 

[Nidhogg]

-Alec Kaiser-

The turian had a grizzled look about him. If he was human, he'd likely have a massive beard, many scars, and a cigar stub in his mouth at all times. It wasn't hard for Alec to tell that this man didn't like him. He was more concerned with Alec than Atina, and looked ready to shoot at the drop of a hat, so to speak. Most people would find an aggressive greeting like that in poor taste for a first impression. Alec was actually feeling better about this man as the pilot. He didn't trust two strangers walking up to him for no reason, and he knew how to identify who a potential threat was. Both good signs. It was far from uncommon for Alec to meet people with a dislike or outright hatred for humans. Alec's experiences with his own species tended to support their bigotry. As long as it didn't impede the mission or endanger his client, they could say anything they want about humans.

Although his comment to Atina was a little harsh, it was certainly justified and no worse than what Alec had been saying back at the diner. "Hopefully, Captain Alaniyum, this won't turn in to that sort of adventure."

Atina needed to be the negotiator, so Alec made sure to stand just behind her. He was to her right, with his left arm just behind her right arm. In the event bullets started flying, he could get himself in front and her head down quickly, while leaving his shooting arm as far away from her as possible. Alec had learned a lot of lessons in the middle of firefights about the best way to keep a target safe while still getting your own shots off. Right now, though, Alec needed to not be the focus of attention. He kept his hands where the turian could see them, and rather than keeping direct eye contact, Alec kept his focus on the turian's entire body, with his ears trained more towards the hangar than the conversation.

 

[Dizzyfish]

Atina'Evna nar Io

The Turian took her hand as expected though his response was less than flattering. Atina shook her hand a little at the strength therein, chuckling nervously as the feeling in her hand returned. He was a strong one, with an attitude that equaled Alec's. How she was going to handle TWO grumpypants on this adventure was surely to be the battle of the century. However, thus far she had handled Alec rather nicely, with little to no real confrontation on either of their parts. Sure he was a bit rough around the edges, but who wasn't these days?

Out of the corner of her eye Atina watched Alec take a much more, tactical stance behind her. He was playing the field as was his job, and yet his contract had yet to be established. That was the boost of confidence she needed to seal the deal with her new pilot. Now she just had to convince him, she wasn't all just sparkling personality and charming conversation. "Suffice to say, you are right Mister Alaniyum, I haven't experienced that..." She said, a tint of disbelief in her voice. She lowered her head to indicate her acceptance of living a sheltered life. But she was no idiot. "But that is because I am not in the business of getting caught." The Quarian returned her gaze to the Turian and offered a cheeky smile. "I am learning from previous mistakes that getting caught... is not so good for business." She paused, again. Her heart was racing, again. Seems that the more she delved into this world the more bad habits she repeated.

There was a nervousness in her voice, her words were well strung together, but anyone, even someone half deaf, could recognize the desperation in every breath. "I need a pilot and I chose you because... well, you don't seem like the type who can afford to make those mistakes. So please, are you the pilot we need or are we wasting our time?" That sounded like something Alec would say... Atina noted, at the earliest possible convenience, she would need to a take a few endorphin pills to wash that out of her system.

 

[pimpmar]

Dante Alaniyum

Again, he found his attention phasing in and out. Her tone was desperate, but her words were falling on semi-deaf ears. Again, his eyes were on Alec. It seemed his gut was right. He WAS the bodyguard. In a perfect position to get in the middle of a fire-fight, but his hands in visual range. "Good boy" Dante thought. The man was no fool.

Dante turned his attention to Atina, watching her exaggerated body language, her drastic tone changes, and her overall naivetey. Good, an inexpierenced client can't expect to con you. Which meant that one half of this posse was honest.

"Trust me, if I was in the business of getting caught, I would've been in prison years ago. I don't get caught." He stopped, sizing up the Quarian. She was sincere, not overly assertive, and could be handled. Her bodyguard, however, would require an eye at all times. Dangerous or not, quiet or not, he was a human. And that species of savages were not to be trusted.

Mentally, his vision travelled to the bombardment of that human world. Mercilessly pounding away at the cities, killing innocents. He fled the Turian navy there, in defense of humanity. Why was it that he hated them so much now? On the verge of a break through, the smuggler in his mind kicked back in. 'Because they smell funny' he decided.

"Okay. If I were to take the job, what're my requirements. Where are we going, what am I transporting, and what're the risks?"

 

[Dizzyfish]

Atina'Evna nar Io

God! Why are men so difficult? And they say women were harder to control and understand. However, in this field of work, one had to be cautious. He could just as easily be hired by a C-Sec operative in disguise, waiting for him to agree to something and arrest him for such an attempt. It was the perfect way to catch a criminal, but Atina had no interest in playing poster girl for C-Sec, or anyone for that matter. She needed a pilot and this was the only one she wanted, there were no other options. "Fantastic. Then we have an understanding of the severity of this adventure." She stated matter-of-factly and nodded her head in acceptance.

"The details are simple. The job however... that's a whole other matter. Our location is the Pylos Nebula, as stated in my previous message. As a pilot I am sure you know the dangers such a place poses to us. The only thing you will be transporting is us. Unless of course we find something of value, which the chances are rather high according to my collected data." Atina paused, trying to remember back what Alec had said about the Pylos Nebula, she knew word for word what that conversation was. But how to relay it without sound exceptionally droll was the bigger problem. She settled for the less said the better route. "The only thing you are required to do is get us there and back, in one piece, and not die. Dead pilots don't fly. Or so I am told.."

Now it was time for the subject of payment. Her least favorite part of this whole ordeal. Not that she was against paying those she worked for, but she had no idea how or how much. Perhaps Alec could earn his pay by helping out in that department....."I am only interested in the intellectual value of what we find, what it weighs in credits, will be broken evenly amongst the both of you. On top of the credits I am to pay you for your services. As for the risks?" Atina looked back at Alec for some kind of support, but he was quiet as usual. "I say the risks are immensely high. But then again, I don't know anyone aside from Mister Kaiser and my brother whom have made it there safely and back..."

 

[pimpmar]

Dante Alaniyum

He had to admit, the job sounded pretty easy. She wasn't up to any shady business, had her bodyguard with her, and a fairly simple task list. Staying alive is one thing this Turian did well. He adjusted his stance, taking on an air of far less hostility. Being a hard-noser was all well and good, but when it came to credits, Dante had to be a business man.

"Sounds fairly simple." he started. He was curious as to why she needed a top pilot like himself, when any commercial pilot worth his weight in excrement could do the job. There were things she wasn't telling him, but he was okay with that. There were things he wasn't mentioning either. 'All's fair.' He thought.

Now, he had to pose the kicker. His price, at a premium, scared most customers away. Plus her technology hunt, he could make a fortune. "20,000, all in advance." he gauged her response, before throwing in the line "and fifteen percent of any profits. My ship needs her pay-day too."

 

[Avellan13]

Vincent Anastasio

Vincent stood on a low hill, gazing at the clearing below. Time had passed and he had learned to adapt to the planet by learning about the inhabitants, using anything available, and not wasting time. He noticed a change in his personality and way of life. He was more savage than he had ever been before, which he had to be to survive on this inhospitable planet. He had also given up any attempt of being rescued.

To his left, about a mile off in the distance, was his ship. He remembered the last time he had been in there, about a 2 weeks ago. At least, 2 weeks on this planets timeline. He had sent up a final transmission, for whatever reason, he didn't know. He could remember what he had done on that ship and the transmission update he had sent.

He pushed aside the door and stumbled into the ship. The heat outside was intense but his hide armor, which he had created from the exoskeletal remains of the scorpian, helped to reflect some of the heat. He walked over to the emergence distress beacon and push the recording button.

"Why I bother to update this is beyond me. I've given up hope on rescue. I've been on this planet for.. how long has it been Harold? Four months? You sure? Sorry, Harold here was just reminding me of the time. Yes yes I'm getting to it. Well in that time, I have adapted to live on this planet and being on it for that long has taught me one thing. This place is hell. The creatures that live here, the climate, the atmosphere. All make it nearly impossible to survive on it. What what that Harold? They're near? Ok Harold and I have to run and fend off some more of the.. creature here. But here's one last piece of advice. If anyone is recieving this transmission then listen to what I have to say next. Don't come to this planet, it's nothing but death."

Shaking his head to rid himself of the memory, Vincent looked back at the clearing where a monsterous scorpian had appeared.

"Well well, look what's come along and is about to fall prey to our trap Harold..... Yes, yes I know but the last one was bigger than this one and the trap wasn't a stong as this one is."

 

[MeanBlackjack]

The Veteran, Kaito Foley

Taking one short breath, Kaito dived from cover to cover making his way along the ship yard. There was gun shots following him, but he had survived tougher.

These Batarian shit heads think that they can take down Kaito Foley?

His thoughts screamed, he could feel his common sense draining from him. All he needed was a split second to line up his shots. The problem was, he was outnumbered and by the time he had shot one of them, the other would have a clear shot.

Jumping over a trash can, Kaito scanned his surroundings begging for an escape, or a decent enough vantage point. Spotting a cab station above them, he took a deep breath and charged across with his biotic ability.

He missed.

Well, not quite. He was on the ledge of the large platform, he reached up over the side and pulled himself up as shots were fired. Rolling onto his back, Kaito pushed himself up with his elbows and got to a vertical base.

Then, the Krogan charged. Winding him, Kaito fell onto a metal bench and then subsequently fell through the seating arrangement. His large hand grabbed the Asian warrior by the scruff of his hair and threw him into the middle of the area. It was then that Kaito could see that there was no one here. No one but the Krogan. That was unusual. No civilians in a place like this?

The Krogan picked him up and punched him in the gut. He had little time to move, firing a well placed warp blast at the Krogan’s face he broke free.

Reaching inside his coat, he pulled out a shotgun and aimed at the large beast.

Bang! One shot dropped him to his knee. BANG! Another well placed on took out the Krogan’s good knee cap. Walking towards the beastly Alien, Kaito brought up the shotgun and aimed it at his head bump. Pulling the trigger, nothing happened. He looked down and saw that the gun had over-heated.

Shit. He knew he should have upgraded to thermal clips but they were so much heavier. As he reached for his pistol to finish the job a sniper round tagged him in the shoulder. Dropping to one knee, Foley scanned for the shooter.

He couldn’t see him and now he was in trouble. The Krogan had regenerated. Picking up his own heavy pistol, the Krogan blasted Kaito in his other knee. The Krogan grabbed him by his neck and hoisted him up off of the floor. Dragging him over to the large gap, the Krogan laughed.

“The Kilmister corporation sends their regards.”

Kaito’s eyes went wide as he was dropped to the abyss, traffic whizzed past him as he plummeted towards his death. The sad thing was, he couldn’t even remember the Kilmister Corporation, let alone upsetting them.