Mass Effect: Aftermath

[Unionhack]

Captain Takora smirked. "Well, the main batteries are two decks down. The Hestia's main gun is a top-of-the-line Thanix Cannon, coupled with the standard mass-accelerator cannons. She's no slouch in a firefight, that's for damned sure. No secrets there."

[Baloth-Kul]

"Thanix Cannon." Broktar nodded approvingly. "Alright, maybe we won't die as soon as we get there. Do you honestly care if I go down there to admire your firepower?" He waved his hands out from his side, as if indicating he wasn't any threat. "Pretty sure I don't even look like a saboteur or spy."

Hidden:

Nbd either way, it'll just be how he kills time between here and the grave. I mean, the mission.

[Kerr]

"Condescendingly: Good spies don't look like spies." said Calor. He then turned to the Asari. "Politely: It is a pleasure to meet you Captain. I'm happy to be here. This is a very impressive ship."

[The SheoDovah]

"Asaari, i'm not some muscle. I am THE muscle and will become the vanguard of their destruction." Churkan told the Asaari after nodding to adknowledge the salute. He had a rather large sack over his hump and the contents were of a certain nature. But was it weapons, grenades or the 18 hour Elcor Hamlet film? Only time would tell and only Churkan knew what was in it.

[Rook]

Cehan didn't return the salute, though if she had been a Salarian military officer, he most likely would have. Instead he gazed forlornly about the ship. The excitement he had experienced after hearing about his brother had all but vanished, replaced with a lingering doubt.

"What muscle?" he thought despondently, looking at his thin limbs and body. Space travel made him feel queasy, and he liked to avoid it.

"Could I look at the weapons, as well?" the Salarian asked, "I've never studied Asari ship-design."

[Unionhack]

Hidden:

"Vanguard of their destruction. Haha. Ha. I understood that reference. Masterfully done. Tee [&@%!]' hee.

"Right..." Takora mumbled at Hard's comment. "Yes, feel free to inspect our weaponry. It's all under lock, not much harm can come of it. Head down to deck 4 for them." she told Cehan and Broktar.

Turning to Calor, she nodded. "Many thanks. She's a new one, hasn't seen much action, but we're certain she'll hold up under pressure."

[Baloth-Kul]

"Thanks, Captain." Broktar immediately headed down to inspect the gun batteries. He was walking at a decent, calm pace one would expect of an elderly Krogan, but he couldn't help adding just a little bit of pep to his step. The Krogan, to any who were focusing solely on him, might have appeared similarly to a human child pretending to be calm and patient while heading to the living room on Christmas morning.

[Kerr]

"Explanatory Compliment: Well I lived on Thessia for a few years and fought alongside Asari during the battle of Earth. I've had plenty of experience with the Asari military so I trust we can rely on your crew's abilities." said Calor to the Asari captain.

[Unionhack]

Deck 2 - CIC

Captain Takora raised an eyebrow at Calor, interested. Granted, Asari could mate with any sentient species out there, but it was still a tad unusual to assume that one bonded with an elcor before. She wondered if that was why he lived on Thessia? "Well, then I'm glad to have someone who understands how we work aboard the ship. It's an honor to have you, Mr..." she trailed off, not having gotten his name.

Deck 4 - Batteries

Broktar and Cehan both reached the fourth deck via elevator. The hallway before them branched off in two ways; one wall was labeled "Main Batteries/Port Observation Deck", while the other was labeled "Life Support/Starboard Observation Deck". Since the Hestia hadn't taken off, it was possible to get a glimpse at the Citadel from aboard the ship.

[The SheoDovah]

"Fought my fair share of Asari in my time. You're kind are tough [&@%!] and a worthy fight, most of the time." Churkan told the captain as a compliment. Although what Churkan deemed a compliment may have differed from everyone's definition of a compliment. "Elcor, you say that you fought on earth? Well, come and join me for a few drinks and tell me all about your role in the battle. Did you smash through a building? Crush the Behemoths with your fists?" He asked the Elcor and was curious about the man's role in the battle of london.

[Kerr]

"Polite Elaboration: Calor." said Calor to the captain before their conversation was interrupted by the Krogan who he suspected used arrogant boastful claims as a way to obfuscate his own insecurities about failing to live up to the societal expectations of his people. "With irritation: Nothing special. I was one of many Elcor outfitted with a VI assisted assault rifle. I was just fortunate enough to survive war, many of those I cared about did not."

[Baloth-Kul]

"'ve you ever seen the Citadel out of a window port?" Broktar asked Cehan as he headed to check out the guns. "It's, uh. Interesting. I've seen it more times than I care to, but the view is there."

[Rook]

"A couple of times, yes." Cehan replied, gazing out at the space station, "It's pretty, and seeing it from here helps to put it all in perspective. How it's able to hold millions of people comfortably, I mean."

"I don't like space." he admitted, drawing his eyes away from the vast expanse and ineptly concealing a slight shiver.

[Baloth-Kul]

"Me neither," Broktar uttered as he looked out the viewport for the briefest of moments. "I don't like relying on all this crap to get where I'm going. Like the damn shuttle. If I'd been walking, I wouldn't have had windscreen in my face." He took another glance out the viewport. "Vacuum isn't so bad though. Would still kill me. Just a lot slower. But I prefer walking on something solid, rather than flying around on this [&@%!]."

He continued on his way to the guns. "In the Rebellions, before we got neutered, most of us grunts either died in the shuttle, or under Turian orbital bombardment. Less often when just fighting them on the ground, man to man. God damn shuttles."

Broktar turned and looked at Cehan. "Unlike, or, uh, like...I'm not certain...that indecisive idiot C-Sec...I don't blame your kind for what they'd done to ours. We needed a kick in the quad, really." He stretched his arms. "Not like that makes you and I, or me and anyone else on this trip 'friends', but I'm not about to crush you all in a singularity. Not unless we all start bickering again. Unnngh."

[The SheoDovah]

"Nothing special!? you fought in one of the best [&@%!] battles of the entire war and you did nothing special?! That is either [&@%!] or you are hiding something but i'm getting ahead of myself." Churkan told the Elcor as he leaned against the wall. "I know what's it's like to lose friends and usually ends up with me spreading their guts all over the walls but compared to what we [&@%!] saved by taking on the reapers in glorious battle, their sacrifices will always be remembered and [&@%!] those who dare to claim that it was just the humans who one the war." He said to the Elcor.

[Kerr]

"Angrily: Maybe the war was glorious for you Krogan, your people have never had it better. But I lost everything, everyone." said Calor, a fellow Eclor could see the rage boil within him. He fell into silence for a few seconds as he calmed down. "Morosely: At least when your people were at their lowest they were still seen as skilled warriors, there was something to gain by helping them. But if my species dies out, how will the rest of the galaxy remember us? We'll just be seen as the ones who walked on all fours and spoke funny. Nothing more."

[The SheoDovah]

"It was glorious but those pyjaks in the council would have our efforts sweeped under the carpet if it weren't for Urdnot Wrex and it was our chance to show to the damn universe why we don't [&@%!] around with war and why it needs us instead of slowly killing us off because some pyjak loving Salarian decided to kill thousands of Krogans before they even had a sodding chance at life." Churkan told Calor as he slowly got out his shotgun and inspected it. "And all it took was Shepard, Wrex and the Reapers. But you're race will always be remembered. Or at least, i will as your kind are powerful warriors that can smash through walls and are more intimidating then us."

[Kerr]

Calor remained silent. The Krogan was all honour this, glory that, as if battle was the only thing he knew. The man was an idiot and his comments were annoying Calor but the Elcor preferred not to drag the conversation out further and it was that reason that he said nothing.

[Unionhack]

The Hestia - CIC

"Hey. I don't care where you fought or whatever you took down doing it. No weapons out on the ship. Holster it while I still feel like asking nicely." Captain Takora warned Hard. She completely disagreed on his position on the council as well, but that was something to be argued at a different time.

[The SheoDovah]

"I'm not going to kill anyone or start any fights or blow up the ship but if it keeps your panties on, i'll put her away and treat her later." Churkan retorted in a rather bored tone due to how often he got told to put his weapons away. "But enough of the introduction [&@%!], let's get down to business. What is your plan of attack?" He asked Takora as he put the gun away.

[Rook]

Cehan allowed himself a shy smile, "That's all right, I don't have many friends anyway. People tend to walk over me, but I'm okay with that. You defended me like my brother would have: that's more than most people do."

He was clearly surprised by the old Krogan's good sense, "My father taught me about the Genophage, why it was necessary and what would have happened without it. He wouldn't have supported the Cure, and if he could see the galaxy today... well, he always knew best."

[Baloth-Kul]

Broktar scratched under his chin. "If that C-Sec idiot cared to give you advise, he'd say something stupid like 'stand up to anyone who craps on you! Don't take anything from anyone!' But you know what that gets you? Dead. If they're bigger than you, LET them walk over you...because the last thing they'll expect after that is a shot in the back of the head. As they say, only a fool punches a nathak in the mouth. You sneak around and pull its tail."

"We needed it then, but we don't need another one now." Broktar shook his head. "And that's exactly what we're going to get if those Krogan rebel idiots win. You think they'd learn. Mothers dying while giving birth to dead, deformed young. All the stillbirths and miscarriages. Galaxy's going to crap on our plate again if we screw this up, and we'd deserve it. Again. But I think some of us can learn." He looked meaningfully at Cehan. "Maybe we can yet prove your father wrong, even though he was right."

He scratched his plate. "Anyway, enough Genophage talk. Makes me all wistful. Let's check out this girl's teeth." Broktar proceeded eagerly to the weapons batteries.

[Unionhack]

Deck 2 - CIC

Takora glared angrily at Hard at the 'panties' comment. "Listen up, C-Sec. I don't know what you did or where you've been, but I don't take kindly to being disrespected on my own damn ship. I earned my Commando leathers, dammit. So here's our plan of attack; you go and sit your ass down in the crew quarters until we get there, and I don't slap your ass with a singularity. We'll discuss it when we get there."

Deck 4 - Main Batteries

Broktar entered the main batteries and gazed upon the visible mechanics of the Thanix cannon. As the Extranet Codex would mention, it was a prototype based upon Reaper technology that accelerated a beam of molten metal to strike at targets. Since the end of the Reaper War, Reaper assets were becoming more and more common due to the presence of Reaper corpses. Though the Crucible had rendered most of it unworkable beyond repair, some of it was still salvageable, and at mush lesser risk since the threat of indoctrination was no longer present.

If Cehan were to inspect the gun's console and the asari engineer working on it, he would be able to see that the gun was not calibrated for maximum efficiency.

[Baloth-Kul]

Hidden:

Churkan Hard, ever the charmer. TLD, try not to get your character killed by NPCs before we even reach the combat sections.

Drau Broktar uttered a low, slow, appreciative whistle. "Damn, she's beautiful." He stopped looking at the Asari engineer for a moment, then looked back at her. "The gun batteries are nice too." He offered a harmless, almost apologetic smile, and turned to continue to admire the guns, particularly the Thanix cannon.

"I've only seen a little of what a Thanix can do, but it's damn impressive. Cuts through an unshielded ship in seconds. Cuts through a shielded ship in just a few more seconds." Broktar scratched his plate as he contemplated the relatively brief history of use of Thanix cannons, and how many lives they might already have taken.

[The SheoDovah]

"Ah, but i won't be able to decide what colour to wear whilst killing the pirates if i don't know the plan of attack as even Krogans need to feel pretty in battle." Churkan joked in a deadpan manner. "Fine, as it's your ship and can easy chuck me out, i'll go to the damn quarters but just so you know, if we are attacked, there is a high chance of be causing more damage to the ship then to our enemies if they board." He told the captain as he slowly walked away. "Oh and hope you're not fond of your shuttles as they tend to explode around me." he remarked as he went off in search of his quarters. Only, he forgot to ask where they were and would look like a fool if he went back to ask her. So he used his Krogan powers of winging it to locate the crew quarters. Whether he would find them or not was an entire different thing.