(I said I'd post in all of these about a week ago...and now I'm doing it...aren't I a great person? :P
Also, I'll probably be bunnying KS pretty soon here, since he seems to have gone AWOL.)
About a few minutes later, the package delivery went more or less without a hitch. One of Showdown's men came to exchange some parts for some food, and one of Tobias's units responded in the affirmative and commenced the trade. The soldier, clearly more interested in killing people than he was negotiating, reluctantly loaded the crates, one by one, into the pipe which sucked them into the Defender. The second hatch opened carrying some crates loaded with parts. It was clear that Tobias had won out on this deal. Of course, so did we.
A few minutes later, and Xanthos had reported the successful extraction of my friend. I was overjoyed, although I knew I still had to get out of this ship and, if needed, out of this armada.
At this point, I gathered the group together to discuss what to do. Eventually though, we concluded that we'd attract suspicion if we hid any longer, so I marched up to the door of what looked to be the captain's quarters. I quivered a bit with fear, but a few seconds later I knocked on the door.
(Can somebody act for Tobias here, I'm a bit at a loss on how to RP a pirate that isn't simply a bloodthirsty killing machine that go down by hordes in computer RPGs.)
However, unbeknownst to me, there were sinister events occurring while this was all happening.
_________________________________________
(First couple paragraphs of this are just flavor)
Near an unknown planet, deep within the outer reaches of the known galaxy, a spacecraft of unknown origins descended towards it's surface. This planet was one of the many that were little more than rocks in space, with a highly intolerable environment of desert, contained by a thin atmosphere. Few would make their base of operations here, and even fewer had the funds to build something that would survive the harsh environment of this nondescript planet. No one would really suspect a thing about this planet, save for the small city that lied upon it. However, upon closer inspection, this city was not a city at all, but rather a large complex, built primarily out of ebony, painted with a mysterious logo. Of course, few ever saw this complex for what it was, and those were never seen again. Unless, of course, you happened to belong to a certain organization that maintains this facility.
The craft landed within an indoor hangar, and opened its landing ramp. Several guards, decked in blue and gold armor, preceded out of the ramp, and ordered themselves into two rows. Slowly, a lone figure descended, half human, half guardian, dressed in a white robe, though also carrying two swords at her sides. A retainer ran over to greet her. She bowed her head and said:
"Mistress, you have returned. Were your negotiations successful?"
The figure stood resolute, and said "Yes, Thaegan has been...quite eager for more power. She is easily manipulated. Her forces will break their truce with Tobias tomorrow. Of course, Tobias and his ships will...face technical complications before the fight begins. Aside from that, she has agreed to destroy many of our enemies."
"May I ask, what did you offer her in return?"
"The location of an orb. I told her that the orb will grant her the power to conquer the universe. A shame said orb will also overload her powers to the point that she will disintegrate. On the off chance it doesn't, the demon inside should do the trick."
"Excellent. I want to report that one of our agents has some urgent news. Shall I page him?"
"Go ahead."
The retainer went off into the depths of the base. The figure, known to most as Sukaya or perhaps Empress Sukaya, made a wry smile, then followed her." She had once been the leader of a certain prosperous planet, but it had been destroyed after a particular technology sparked a civil war, followed by foreign involvement.
Eventually, the two made their way into a large, spacious room with a large holo-communication device in the center. After the necessary preparations were made, it was activated, and a wizard appeared on screen.
"Tinovian, Ciele here says you have an important message for me."
"Ah, yes. I have some rather dreadful news. You see, a few days ago, a certain man gathered a large group in what appears to be an attempt to stop the Light and Dark Planets from fighting."
"Is that not a good thing?"
"Yes, but you see, I have reason to believe that he is involved."
"Which him? We have many enemies."
"I believe your exact words were, 'that blot on reality itself'"
"Really? Give me more details."
"Yes well, on a small planet, called Arkenwald, a man named Showdown, together with Flare and Sasquatch, went to a tavern called the Rampaging Boar looking for recruits. A few signed on for the calling, most notably: Tobias, the Blod family, Logan's Caravan Crew, and---"
"Who's this Showdown?"
"Well, if my predictions are correct, he is the blot which I previously mentioned."
"Are you sure?"
"Unfortunately, I have no conclusive evidence as of yet. Most likely he is trying to hide his powers to avoid manipulation. That said, I'd say with a 90% probability that yes, it is him."
"*****it, I thought I told Flare to get rid of him. After all the damage he has caused. That idiot! He's playing with a power he does not know how to control. Who else is with him?"
"Yes well, that's the problem, I felt a rather massive wave coming from Tobias's ship a while back, and the only one there, besides Logan and his crew, is a strange blue robed man we picked up."
"How massive are we talking about here?"
"...Mistress, I haven't felt this much power since Donovan..."
"...Blast it, I thought we killed him. We even made sure to scan the body as we flung it out into space to make sure he was dead."
"Yes, well it doesn't appear it fazed him much."
"Is there anyone else?"
"No, but given who we're dealing with here...I fear the worst."
"Has Showdown really gone crazy enough to try and conquer the universe? Although, I must ask, what is Logan doing in that group?"
"Wants to save the universe to get more business, so he says."
"I see. Tinovian, I want you to observe, test their strength, figure out what Showdown is truly planning, and if possible, stop them."
"Roger that, Tinovian signing out."
Sukaya slumped in her chair a bit and said "What has the universe come to, first the corruption and now this! I fear we cannot hide in the shadows much longer. If I want to fight these two forces, the Order will need a far larger army. I must stay strong, for the good of everyone."
