She's doing fine, now can you please put down that electric prod?
Ava. You must be tired, you should take a break.
No, I'm fine, Captain. Stop now before I defect to PACT.
You will always be my coffee, Ava. So, anything on her?
Much better. As per protocol, we've scanned her for contraband. We found enough assassination tools on her person to topple small governments.
Any...uh... sex toys?
Captain! Listen! This person is a professional hitman!
How much to shit on my chest?
...how the hell did this guy escape PACT's invasion fleet?
Captain, we've already scanned through the database on her ryder and found nothing. She's no amateur.
I'd love to come in her ryder and ... stuffies.
Don't you fucking dare.
What's that? You're not talking now, are you? My hyper weapon is fully charged, Crooked Bee.
Tsch. I sure hope you haven't dirtied up my ryder.
Don't worry babe, I rather dirty you. But why don't you avoid all this trouble by giving us some info?
Hmph. What do you want?
(Wow, it worked.) Okay, why'd you attack us? Are you working for PACT?
I already told you, I don't work for those fanatics. Haven't you been listening?
No, I'm kinda distracted by the fleshy pink outfit you're wearing. Is that even an outfit? Does your species even have nipples?
Ugh. I attacked you because I thought you were PACT freelancers. Last I heard, the entire Cera Space Force was pressed into the PACT Fleet and the few survivors become pirates or freelancers.
Keep talking, Bee.
It's Icari, asshole. If you haven't noticed, this area of the galaxy's like the Wild Wild West. Plenty of guns for sale have thrown their lot with PACT nowadays, thinking that's the way the galaxy's gonna spin. Heh, not if I have anything to say about it anyways.
I take it you're no friend of PACT?
No. I hate them. I would have busted up their whole fleet back there. If it weren't for you smashing up my booster anyways. Ugh...
You weren't exactly friendly either. Unknown threats have a way of fucking you over. So I took you seriously, and fired my biggest cannon at you.
Hmph. At least we're on the same side then. So, are you gonna tell me what a former CSF ship doing here?
We're asking the questions here, not you.
Heh, what? We're not here to become friends?
I... I don't mind really, but only if you're cuffed. Gagged..and maybe blindfolded.
Ugh. C'mon Captain, throw me something here. Aren't we going to work this out together?
Show me yer holes.
I rather swallow my own tongue and die.
Alright, fine fine. We're here on Alliance business. We're doing a bit of freelancing ourselves.
Heh, interesting.
There, you got our secret. Now, how about yours? Or do you want to talk to the Mr. Happystick? *waves Shock Prod*
Hmm. All right, Captain. You've made you point. Just don't lay a finger on my Phoenix.
...nice name for your private parts. Does it burn?
It's my precious ryder, asshole! And get your damned housewife's scowl out of my face!
You heard her, dear.
Hmph.
Alright, Bee. I won't touch your Phoenix.
I hope so! Hey, Cap - you wouldn't have happened to have been hired by an Alliance admiral who looked like a grey old statue, would you?
Well, he's certainly was grey. In more ways than one.
Hahahaha. That bastard hasn't changed on bit.
You know him?
Know him? I've worked for him for ages.
Doing what?
It's not what you think it is, asshole. Erasing undesirables. Nothing terrible, mind you, the admiral's a pretty principled guy. Crazed criminals on the loose, sleazy dictators, price manipulators. I got the stick - the Admiral shows the carrots. If you catch my drift.
*swallows saliva* Yeah. That's hot.
A contract assassin. Here in Versta? I have a bad feeling about this.
Judging from little Ms. Worry's reaction here - you're here for the diplomats from Solar Alliance. Am I right?
Looks like the big secret's out.
Heh.
Don't keep us in suspense, Bee. We're here to rescue them. Are you here to shoot them?
A rescue? Is that what the Admiral told you?
If you know something, just spill it!
Not so fast! That little info is gonna cost you.
If I recall correctly, you're the one stuck sitting behind the force field, not us.
I'm not going to go around revealing client info unless there's security for me. And I'd say you need my help more than ever if you still think you're here on a rescue mission.
Alight, what do you want?
Let me out of this cell and give me back my ryder.
Fine, since you're working against PACT - I'll take the chance and work with you.
Captain! Really?
Hmph. I may be an assassin but I'm no scoundrel.
But you're still a woman.
Ava, lower the force field.
Patriarchy scum.
All right - the war between the Solar Alliance and PACT is inevitable. Everyone knows that and they're just too scared to admit it. The galaxy is on the brink of an interstellar war on a scale it hasn't seen in a hundred years.
And suddenly 90% of the military personnel are young girls who are barely legal.
There's a certain faction within the Alliance which understands this and wants to intervene before the entire Neutral Rim turns into PACT's backyard.
Is that... the ..war party or something?
Look, I don't care who they are - but I'd rather not be bowing to Veniczar, so I say good on them. The only issue is that President Alyhte's a damned pussy who couldn't fight an angry duck to save his own life.
Hey, why do you hate Dolan?
The Alliance needs a push. And this crisis is the opportunity everyone's been waiting for to bring the Alliance into this fight.
Let me get this straight, you've been hired by this faction to hover around Vestra, and make sure PACT get their hands on those diplomats to spark a war.
Now you're catching on, sugar. Let me make sure the diplomats are captured by PACT and you can bet you'll have the Alliance's full support behind you in your war.
That's one way to look at it. But what if they find out I had something to do with their capture?
Who gives a damn? The Alliance Military wants PACT to get those diplomats to get this war started anyways. You'll probably get a shiny medal for saving the Neutral Rim or something.
Hmm. Decision time.