Rae's answer wasn't really the happiest news, but it did ease his nerves a bit knowing that Shasoon was showing signs of recovery... But that wouldn't matter if the antidote won't work, and there would be another casualty on the Monroe... But he had faith. He always did. His fists were clenched as he continued his path through the ship, a deep fire burning inside him, his left hand starting to twitch slightly. He wanted nothing to do with the rat people anymore, he just wanted sleep, blast the man they had captive right out of the airlock, and to get a new objective that had nothing to do with poison. But the Doctor's voice filled his ear.

It kinda annoyed Raymond on how well Rae knew him, and his possible thought process, but at the same time he enjoyed her friendship. Ever since the Doctor volunteered to join the crew, they formed a bond rather quickly. Although she had a bit of difficulty figuring out human emotions, she seemed to see that Raymond was not the psychotic killer everyone accused him of being. In return she told him a bit about her own past. After surviving so many suicide missions, and seeing so many deaths, and incredible planets and going through every situation you can think of for three years, their friendship is strong. She had the voice of reason, she didn't really let emotions take control of things like Raymond does.. It reminded him of his mother in a way.

Raymond's fist unclenched, the twitch in his hand still going strong, however. He didn't reply to Rae's comments at first, but when he did, all he said was "Copy that... and Thanks, Rae." Maybe this guy didn't really deserve to be chewed up by Addy and Elyse, but if he had the power to blow up a giant warship, chances are he wasn't a defenseless and innocent man. A metallic door slid open to where Elyse and Addy stood, cross armed and staring at the airlock door, and through the small window, a masked face stared straight at him.

"He hasn't been too much trouble?" Raymond asked Elyse who was here first, making his way towards the airlock door. "Addy, Elyse, Tango, watch our for 44." he said in a lower tone. Order 44 was a fun little Committee procedure designed especially for interstellar adventure ships that if any hostile breached the airlock, that they would lock all the doors in the section, and pop open outer airlock door, sucking everything and everyone out into space. It was a terrifying thought, but they were a suicide squad. Better they sacrifice themselves for the greater good of the Galactic Committee, right?

Raymond's face was inches from the glass to get a better look at their intruder. Robotic limbs, a very nasty sword, and a few nice weapons on him. He could easily bust this door down and kill every single one of them... But they were at an advantage. he had no idea how many crew mates were on this ship, no idea how to destroy this ship, how much firepower they had of their own, and he didn't know if the captain was a complete lunatic that wouldn't mind killing everyone on board.

There was a lot of things he could say to the man. A lot of very colorful things, but he decided against it. "Nice sword." Raymond said, a small hint of a smirk on his face, and a nod towards the weapon. "I've seen it cut through my ship like butter, and I appreciate that you haven't used it even more. Look, we've all had a very stressful few days, and I hope you understand that when people get launched out of enemy ships, we don't really greet them with open arms. How about we take this to the brig, we ask a few questions, and no one needs to get hurt." Ray said in a a somewhat calm voice, but it was obvious he wasn't too happy, yet also very sincere. He had no intention of even trying to fight this guy. He didn't have all of his gear, and he was in no shape for a fight.

"Elyse, you have an electromagnetic weapon handy? if he does anything stupid overcharge his legs. Addy, keep those airlock controls with you." Raymond didn't break eye contact with the masked man as he pressed the button, opening the inside airlock doors... He had to have some faith in not only his team mates, but also this stranger.

Pip was about to cut himself out.But before he could draw his blade he saw someone approach. This time it was a man. He looked a little stress Which Pip could imagine after such a fight like this. The man then looked at him silent as if he was hunting his prey. Pip did the same turning the whole thing into a staring contest. They just stood there kind of awkward just starring till the end of time. Until the man decided to break the ice. "Nice sword." He couldn't see it but Pip was smiling behind his mask. Amused by what the captain's first words where. He then continued speaking. "I've seen it cut through my ship like butter, and I appreciate that you haven't used it even more. Look, we've all had a very stressful few days, and I hope you understand that when people get launched out of enemy ships, we don't really greet them with open arms. How about we take this to the brig, we ask a few questions, and no one needs to get hurt." Pip nodded hoping the man would open the airlock. Which he did. Pip slowly stepped out. And walked up right to the captain. He then grabbed his two pistols by the holders and put them in the captain's hand." In case i get the strong urge to kill." He said laughing. He then grabbed his sword and lay it at the captain's feet. Then he stood up and said to everyone in the room." Well took you long enough to realize i wasn't gonna kill you. You must have been doing this for a long time i'm impressed you even let me in. Because you know with me cutting a hole into your ship. Although you also kind of owe me since i kinda started the small civil war. But ill just be following you guys to the brige before my mouth gets me in even more trouble." He then looked at the captain and pointed at the sword." please be careful with that if you touch it the wrong way it could cut your hand of."

Feeling a little more at ease, Tahillie stared at his station, which he noticed it was cluttered with wires and broken holograms; shaking his head a little. Looking around it, the Furtim leaned over to pick up his silver visor before he placed back on. It wasn't that he was afraid to show his eyes, it's just that he was used to the older model to hook him into Cyberspace. He glanced at the broken hologram that was basically broken to small bits and pieces, sighing hard as he pulled up a rather small chip that was embedded into his hand.

"Better than nothing. At lease I still have the information on the firewall and the virus on this little fella." He said more to himself than to anyone.

Inhaling deeply once more, he finally felt a little clearer than before as he noticed that he was alone in the ships cockpit. He shook his head once more before he started to stumble his way to the messy wired contraption that he called his room. However, there we're a few things that he needed to be checked, and that was the fourth hologram box that he broke in three days. He wasn't the greatest with putting things together, but he was rather great with taking things apart to take a further look at. He didn't know who to ask about this problem.

"...eful with that if you touch it the wrong way it could cut your hand of." He heard someone say, though he never thought that an intruder would be on the ship.

Just his luck, he needed the rest as his room was on the far side of the ship, closer to Reena's room. He stopped for a bit before turning around to back to the cockpit to get a few winks at his station, but also explore Canborus' cyberspace to see if there was a repair port or planet near by. Raymond would ask about that, probably after the interrogation with the new comer, and to his knowledge, they we're running low on fuel and resources.

She smiled softly at the thanks, not responding since she wasn't sure how close he was to arriving at the airlock and didn't want to distract him with her voice in his ear. She at least knew her words had gotten through on some level and hopefully all would go well since they didn't need anymore drama for a little while.
Rae's attention turned to Tymea, thinking on what she suggested for a minute or two before shaking her head at the idea. "I could give him a shot of adrenaline but I would rather not put the strain on his hearts after they just slowed down so much. On the other hand, I do have some of his blood stored along with everyone else for emergency cases here in the infirmary but that would mean letting what ever amount of poison he has left in him to go through his body and hope that the extra blood would be able to cycle it out. I doubt it will work. We need to both settle down and fix this antidote. Every second we wish him to be awake is a second wasted...." she stated before turning around and looking back at the antidote, trying to think and wishing that the one other person with a different perspective hadn't left for what seemed like no apparent reason.

Raymond didn't back away when the man approached him, but his heart rate was going crazy. Raymond's old revolver was strapped to his leg still, his whip glove was back in his room. He wouldn't be able to do much to the man who was fully clothed in armor and weapons. Luckily he had two people training their guns on him... But that clearly wasn't a problem when the man pulled out his pistols and actually handed them to Raymond. A bit shocked, the Captain took the weapons respectively, and watched him lay the sword down. The man made his speech, and Raymond listened, a bit of an accent in his voice. Raymond knelt down and picked up the sword after storing his pistols, and then examined it. There was absolutely no doubt in his mind that this blade could cut easily through him, so he held it with care, and nodded at the man. "Thanks for the cooperation. We've been running from those bastards for a while now, so our nerves have been on edge." Raymond said walking for the door, indicating for the man to follow him.

"So since we're being nice to each other, let's get this out of the way. Don't mistake any of this for a weakness, and in return, I won't mistake your respect for me and my crew a weakness either. Agreed?" The small group of them walked down the halls of the spacecraft, but going nowhere near the medical bay. He didn't need to show the man that they had a man down. "This is the Monroe, and we like to call ourselves the Marauders." Raymond also added, the doors sliding open to reveal the brig. The walls were a steel gray, with smaller aisles where the cells were. The cells had a red tinged energy walls surrounding them, inside were simple beds and bathrooms. The room was covered in surveillance equipment, and had armor and weapon lockers that could only be opened by crew members with ranked clearance (people like Raymond, Rae, or Addy for example), or Committee members that like to make surprise appearances. In the front of a room was a steel table, mostly used for guard duty or investigations

"You got a name, Pal?" Raymond asked, pulling up a seat for the masked man, and then sitting in a chair of his own.

”Sure whatever you want cupcake. Although I can assure you that I'm not infected. I'm also completely made out of metal." Pip said, then continued to remove his arm, to Elyse’s disgust. She grimaced lightly, but frowned when he called her sweetcheeks.

Elyse was about to flip, but thankfully Addy showed up to save her. She stood back as Addy talked to Pip, crossing her arms as she silently paid attention. The sound of the door behind her opening turned her attention behind her. She nodded once as Raymond came in. "He hasn't been too much trouble?” He asked, and Elyse shook her head in response. “Just a few creepy comments,” she muttered under her breath. "Addy, Elyse, Tango, watch out for 44." Elyse frowned. They would die because of this nitwit?

Raymond approached the door and stood close. It was a little too close for Elyse, but she knew that Raymond has way more nerves than she did. She listened as Raymond spoke, watching the masked man for any signs of a reaction. "Elyse, you have an electromagnetic weapon handy? If he does anything stupid overcharge his legs. Addy, keep those airlock controls with you." The Captain said. Elyse frowned lightly, looking towards Addy for an electromagnetic weapon she could use. She wouldn’t mind giving the rude intruder a little shock. Raymond opened the door to the airlock and Elyse shifted into a stronger stance, prepared to defend her Captain if this lunatic tried anything.

Fortunately, the intruder began to remove his weapons and lay them at Raymond’s feet. "In case I get the strong urge to kill." Pip said. Elyse rolled her eyes in response. "Well took you long enough to realize I wasn't gonna kill you. You must have been doing this for a long time I'm impressed you even let me in. Because you know with me cutting a hole into your ship. Although you also kind of owe me since I kinda started the small civil war. But I’ll just be following you guys to the brig before my mouth gets me in even more trouble." He continued. Elyse sighed softly under her breath. Was he going to be this obnoxious the whole time? He already surrendered. Why continue with the defensive threats? There was no doubt that he could stand a chance up against the three Marauders, but that wasn’t the point, at the moment. Well, unless he was lying to gain our trust.

Raymond led them out of the room, taking the long way to get to the brig. Elyse noticed that he was avoiding the medic bay. Good thinking, Cap. She thought. They entered the brig and Elyse stood behind the Captain to his right. She felt responsible for letting this Pip inside of the ship, so she wanted to stay until the issue had been resolved, and possibly even help out.

Time passed by as the two continued to try and work out the kinks with the antidote but to no real avail. Rae knew they didn't have time for this, Shaso͞on needed help now and what was everyone doing...flitting off to join this intruder. Was one person really that hard to handle? What was with Reena's sudden change in attitude all of a sudden when she knew neither of the two in the infirmary were at the scientific level that the Sorlas female was? Either way, what ever the problem the woman had was it would end now even if she had to drag the other back and force her to fix this antidote. She wasn't one to take force on another crew member and was usually a mediator to almost any of the fights that broke out but Rae was on the end of her rope. She was running on no sleep, her energy reservoir was slowly being drained in an effort to keep her awake and on top of that she had a life on her hands that everyone seemed to want to drag her away from or completely ignore.

The Cristallumian female raised from her seat calmly, taking only a second to look over Tymea before speaking in a serene tone that hide her true emotional feelings at the current moment.
"Please continue to work on the antidote. I am stepping out for just a moment and shall be back shortly."
That having been said, she fluidly turned on her heel and headed out of the medical bay and thought of which direction to journey. If Reena had indeed made it to the airlock with the others than surely they would be in the brig at this moment since Raymond had been heading to the airlock when they spoke earlier. It was always possible that they were all still chatting away but it seemed the most unlikely. However, if Reena had changed her mind at seeing the intruder or had decided not to continue to the brig with the rest of the crew members there than she could be anywhere. She took a moment longer to think on the situation before turning to the direct path to the airlock from the infirmary. At least if Reena wasn't in this direction than she would know the next few places to search.

Luckily for all involved, Reena had only made it a few doors down before her emotional and physical state got the better of her. Compounded with the stress of a potential intruder and the guilt over what she had done, the Hype withdrawal had hit her like a sledgehammer. Even Rae could tell something was wrong as the delirious alien staggered down the corridors, bracing herself against the wall with a free hand. Alarmingly, her sidearm was still clutched tightly in her other hand, with no way to tell if it was armed to go off. Rae had only taken a few steps before spinning around to face her, the respirator in her suit amplifying her deep, shuddering breaths.

"Wh-what?!?" Reena said sharply, distress audible in her voice. Her gun arm, although hanging limply at her side, seemed to twitch slightly as she spoke.

A brow raised at the odd question that was asked of her since it was rather clear on what she could possibly want though it didn't take long to realize why it might have been asked. The distress was noted, the lack of stability was undeniable and the twitching was a clear sign to what was indeed happening to Reena at this very moment in time. Luirae realized that she had caught the Sorlas female in a vulnerable position and unfortunately while also armed. It put her on guard which started the process to her natural crystalline skin turning into a hardened armor though if hit right and on the sensitive unarmored parts of her skin than it would be quite painful. She would have to sleep if a hit like that happened so that her energy could work on the wound instead of on keeping her awake. This would mean that she could not work towards her main goal of helping Shaso͞on because she herself would be joining him in probably a coma like state while the wound healed and her energy rebuilt.
She had to handle this situation carefully which usually required more of an emotional touch which she just didn't seem to have in her opinion...maybe anyone's opinion to be honest.

"I apologize if I may have startled you. I require you back at the medical bay if you would please." Rae said as softly and calmly as she could.

Reena's fingers gripping the gun tensed slightly as she processed what was said to her. Her somewhat incoherent thoughts seemed to scream at her to take action, even an aggressive one, but the familiar tone of the doctor's voice, or at least her somewhat awkward attempts to speak more calmly, seemed to connect with the xenobiologist's more analytical side. Reena tried to speak steadily as she fought a desperate battle with herself to preserve what was left of her dignity.

"I...is there something wrong?" she finally said, attempting her usual logical tone. Her hand still refused to loosen its grip on the gun.

"The antidote is harming Shaso͞on's blood while it attacks the poison. We cannot figure a way around it with our skills. He needs you. I cannot help him further without you presence so will you please return to the medical bay?" Luirae answered truthfully, asking rather than telling her to return. It would not end well otherwise, even she knew as much but if the answer was no than that gun would not be enough to stop her from dragging the other to the infirmary wither it might having to bleed and pass out for who knows how long.

Rae probably didn't realize it, but she had stumbled upon the one method that would have brought Reena back to her unaltered self without delay. The problem with the antidote's reaction was a problem, potentially a fatal one, and a problem in need of a brilliant solution was what the new and improved Reena Vaemas thrived on. Steadying herself against the wall, she took one last shuddering breath before her body lost the battle for her mind, and she set herself to the new task at hand. Carefully replacing the sidearm in its holster, she began to ponder on a solution.

"Right...so if the antidote is harming both the blood and the poison..." Reena remarked, desperately trying not to sound like she just overcame an anxiety attack. "I'll have a better idea of what's going on if I see for myself. If you'll lead the way?"

"That seems quite logical...follow me and I will show you what we have thus far. If you think some other route is more efficient than there is still a pure source of poison to work with from the gland." Rae replied as she lead the way back down the hall and moving over to the counter with all the different slides. "I have brought Reena, I believe she will have more success than either of us. Please step aside so that she may get to work. You may join me in caring for Shaso͞on if you wish or maybe you wish to be free from the infirmary which is just fine too. I appreciate the help that you have given me today instead watching the intruder like a fish behind glass as many of the others decided to do." Rae said, waiting as Tymea made room for Reena so she had access to everything she might need before she turned her focus on her patient. The frayed nerves she had relaxing just a bit as she watched his hearts beat with her vision and could hear it clearly thanks to the monitors. She watched the poison carefully, making sure it didn't crawl too far up his leg though it was already further than she would have liked."I believe our time is more limited now than before." Rae stated.

"I'll say, we don't have much time before the damage becomes irreversible, even for him," Reena stated matter-of-factually, pouring over the slides that were shown to her. "I'm guessing that the antidote is producing that effect because...AH!"

Reena felt a surge of triumph as she found the evidence she was looking for on one of the slides. "This is the exact proof I was looking for. The antidote is in fact subject to the Lisast effect."

"I'm not familiar with that term..." Rae admitted.

"The Lisast effect was observed on the planet of the same name by Yhei researchers studying the native fauna, who suffered severe skin lesions after applying medication for treating allergic reactions to one of the plants that were studied. To make things short since Shaso͞on doesn't have the time, the Lisast effect is when the substance responsible for the affliction in question is so biologically similar that any substance designed to attack the poison can't discern the host from the attacker. Not a very nice thing to deal with, but since we know what it is that will make things much simpler to understand. Do you have the antidote you're working on?"

Reena was handed the faulty antidote, and like that she was off, mixing in a few new substances and tweaking the formula to make it work for the dying Ju'yavāl. After a few precious seconds of furious work, she only needed some sort of plant material to help the new antidote tell Shaso͞on and the venom apart. She desperately searched the cabinets for anything, knowing that any attempts to find what she needed elsewhere would cost Shaso͞on his life. Slamming one of the cabinets shut irritably, she looked at her reflection and realized with a start that she was covered in blood! Wait no, that wasn't blood, it was...

Reena couldn't believe her luck, nor could she believe that the disgusting plant that had exploded in her workstation had been useful all this time. Taking a scalpel, she scraped a healthy amount of the red plant material from her suit and added it to the formula. A few more stirs and added chemicals, and Reena knew she had it. It was a long shot, but it was the only shot that she had. This had to work.

"Here's your antidote," Reena said confidently, gingerly handing the sample over to the doctor. "Time to save a life, doctor."

"Thank you, Reena." Luirae said, a soft smile on her lips as she took the sample and filled it into a fresh needle before moving over to her patient. She carefully injected the antidote, her eyes switching vision to watch it work. It seemed to finally doing the trick but for how long he would continue to sleep would be unknown but at least he was finally out of danger of death. Rae's body visibly relaxing as she let go of the tension that had built up thanks to her worry. "He seems to be stable and the antidote is doing its job. He will have to stay here for observation and until he regains consciousness but at least he is out danger for now." she stated. She pressed the button to the communicator to inform their captain of the good news but paused as she thought of who the captain was with. She did not know this stranger and even though she told the captain to give them a chance, trust had to be earned. Luirae knew she would need to call Raymond out and speak to him away from the stranger if she was to give an update.

"Reena, may I ask a favor? The captain wanted a report on Shaso͞on's condition should there be any change but unfortunately he is with the intruder and I don't trust that the strange might not eavesdrop. I would rather speak to Raymond in person on the matter away from this intruder. Can you watch over Shaso͞on until my return?" Rae asked as well as offering information on why she needed such a favor. It would also be best that if anything strange happened with the antidote that Reena could quickly think of a solution while she was away.

"Of course," Reena said, taking a seat next to the monitors so she could make sure the antidote worked. Before she settled in, a pang of guilt over the state Rae found her in prompted her to say one last thing.

"Rae...thank you for helping me out back there," she said meekly.

She had been headed to the doorway after Reena agreed to stay but paused in her exit at hearing the meek words from the other. She wasn't quite sure what to say since she would have thought that the Sorlas would want to avoid broaching that subject. Rae turned her head slightly to look behind her before speaking gently,"Your welcome...It was my pleasure to assist during a difficult time. Excuse me.."

That being said, she swiftly left and hoped that she had not said something upsetting. Now there was only one thing on her mind and that was to relay Shaso͞on's condition to Atlas.

The interrogation went rather well, given the certain circumstances. Raymond found out that this stranger was named Pip, and he didn't really give him any more straight forward information. What Ray could decipher though was that he was in fact human under the mask, he didn't have that many original limbs, he spoke French (Addy and Pip threw a couple of insults towards each other, or at least that's what it sounded like), and he could be from Earth. He at least visited it. The small group that was in the brig were actually letting a few laughs escape in such a high tension. All of them were smart asses. Rae soon found the group in the brig, and pulled Ray outside to inform him that Shasoon is alive, and his vitals were slowly starting to return to normal. It was a huge relief to hear, and one more thing he didn't have to worry about. Raymond returned to the brig and decided to keep Pip there until they can turn him in to the Galactic Committee.

The crew were doing their best in making on-the-go repairs after their little feud with the mole rats. Ray walked in to the medical bay to see how Shasoon was doing. He was an interesting man. It was as if he and Raymond were having a competition to see who can do the stupidest stunts on missions. So far, the Ju'yavāl was winning. After discussing with Addy, Tango, and Tahillie, they set their coordinates to a small fuel depot in this star system and then have a meeting to see the next step in their plan.

Raymond made his way towards his own room. The gash on his forehead was no longer bleeding, but he had a headache. His hand wasn't shaking just yet, and a huge amount of stress had been lifted off his shoulders. As soon as he made it to his door, Tango's voice came through the intercom. "Captain, the Council is on the line. They wish to speak with you."

Raymond gently slammed his head against his metal doors (wincing a bit from the pain), and then making a detour to the Ship's Meeting Room. The room had a wooden design to it. A large heavy wooden table sat in the center, with chairs of all shapes and sizes surrounding it. The lights dimmed as Ray pressed a button on a console on top of the table, and holographic images sprang to life.

The Committee is run by a Galactic council. Each of the five races have three representatives, with one Grand Chairman, making the council having 31 members. There are many other levels of this council, but this is the main one. Out of the three representatives is the Head Representative, and the five of them (plus the Grand Chairman) were projected in the Monroe. "Captain Chase. From our records we understand your mission was successful." B'Neir the head rep for the Tu'Veeri said, a nod towards him. The Tu'Veeri always seemed to like Raymond, it must have been because of his impressive leadership skills and nobility.

"Yes, Head Representative. We had a little trouble afterwards. You didn't really tell us that the Sekvali hold grudges and are relentless." Raymond started to tell the council about what had happened, but was cut short when the Forgei representative kicked in. "You seem to forget that your ship is used to this, Captain. It seems to me all you've done is saved a colony from being attacked yet again when the Sekvali officially start this civil war!"

Raymond wasn't too fond of the femal Forgei in front of him. Representative Kail hated Raymond Chase, especially since she didn't like funding the Expedition Force, and the Marauders seemed to prove every reason why they should keep it. She was also the one that made the final decision to toss him into The Rock, the Committee's biggest and baddest prison. "Calm down, Kail! If I understand this story correctly, Captain, Miss Driani would have had to find an antidote to the Sekvali poison?" Hal Mitchell, the human representative asked. Raymond gave a nod. "It was a group effort sir with her and the other scientific minds on board. Miss Driani did an excellent job conducting it all." Raymond said.

Finally, the Grand Chairman spoke up. The Tu'Veeri had a thick head of gray hair, and a matching beard, he gave such power and authority that everyone quieted down when he coughed. "This is too much information to talk on an open broadcast, Captain. Take the Monroe to the Spire, where you and your doctor will talk privately with the Council and give a full debriefing, and we have a few new members to join your crew... And good work, Captain. Like your father you always seem to surprise me."

Raymond would normally talk crap about his father and whoever mentioned him, but he had respect for Grand Chairman G'Pol. "Thank you sir. We will make a direct path to the Spire." Raymond didn't bother giving a bow of respect as the council did. He didn't feel like kissing anyone's ass. Especially Representative Kail. He stepped out of the meeting room, and walked for his room once more. "Tango change course to the Spire. They're giving us a little vacation for all our good work."

-----

The view of the Spire was a very impressive one. It was elegant in design surprisingly. It had a fine, metallic surface, with billions of little lights shining out of it. Its cylindrical, with many branches coming out of it for docking. Inside would be artificial skies with thousands of stores and houses and warehouses and so many other objects it was like its own planet. The center of the Spire was filled out though with a rushing river going through it, with wildlife living right on the shore. It orbited around a massive red Supergiant.

The Monroe docked on the upper levels of the Spire, where the richer residents lived, but also it was the direct line to the Council. The crew was free to go on leave and make calls to friends and family, relax at a bar, or do whatever they would like... But Raymond and Doctor Luirae Driani had to talk to the council about what happened. Ray wasn't looking forward to it. Ray knew he would get picked on by the council, they only saw him as a criminal, and a very lucky one at that.

Rae eventually patched up Raymond's forehead and did an evaluation on him, including his shaking hand. The main hatch to the Monroe opened as the crew stepped out, Raymond wore his Expedition Force jacket (made from a very comfortable material and had the marauders logo on one arm and the United States flag on the other. With it he wore expedition issued pants and boots as well. His revolver was on his side, and his whip was ready to go on his palm if he needed it.

This wouldn't go fast, but he ordered Tango and a couple other trusted crew members to stay with the ship just in case he wasn't back when the rookies arrived. With Raymond as well as Rae was Pip. The council wished to meet with him as well since he blew up the enemy ship.

A large figure stepped out of the airlock of a transport ship, having to stoop a few inches due to his height. While short for his people, he was still taller than many other races in the galaxy, although he probably wouldn't be able to prove it. It was likely he was one of a few of his kind on the Spire, if not the only one. Zaetherians were few in number, even after spreading to more habitable planets than the species' home world.

Almost immediately after stepping off the transport, a Tu'Verri security guard approached with her hand twitching slightly, as if expecting a fight. "Sir, you can't bring firearms onto the Spire. It's a felony to d-"

The tall figure chuckled a bit, a bronze glint reflecting off his dark scales. He spoke with a metallic tone, almost sounding as if his voice had a built-in synthesizer. "Add it to the record, the Committee put me on the Monroe and I'm not letting anyone touch my guns. Besides myself, of course." He scowled a bit as the guard whipped out a strange device that scanned the lizard, then went back to the being it served.

"Galvus Velinian. You were charged with gun running, possession of illicit drugs with intent to distribute, first and second degree murder, illegal firearm modification, littering..." Galvus rolled his eyes and began imitating the Tu'Veeri, earning a few laughs from various onlookers, then stopped just as his entire criminal record was finished being read out loud. "...and grand theft auto. You're lucky they even gave you a trial, filth. Go get on that ship before I shoot you down myself." The guard returned to her post, continuously giving the Zaetherian a death stare.

Galvus moved through the crowd, following a meandering path to the docked location of the Monroe, recognizing one of the crew members after a moment of thought. Reena, or something like that. Either way, he approached and stood a good few feet away from her. "I was told to come and meet the crew of the Monroe, which I'll be joining." If an introduction could kill, this would be the one to do the deed.

Reena stepped out of her quarters, humming an old Sorlas sea shanty happily to herself as she meandered through the corridors towards the main hatch off of the ship and towards what would undoubtedly be some well-deserved rest and relaxation. After the crew had been debriefed and the ship and crew were out of danger and heading back to base, Reena had made a hasty retreat to her quarters to freshen up for the return trip, cleaning and filtering her suit, taking a moment's rest in the hydropod, and of course enjoying an absolutely massive strawberry vanilla milkshake made with the blender that she had "borrowed" from the break area on the way to her room. After running on fumes for days after dealing with the mole rats and being harassed by withdrawal symptoms, it felt heavenly to just immerse herself in the cool waters even for an hour or two.

While she was physically feeling much better, she was still feeling a bit guilty over the incident involving her walking out on a dying team member. She wanted to blame her Hype withdrawal for what had happened, but she knew full well that she was lucid and in her right mind when she decided to take her wounded ego and leave back there. Reena tried not to think of what would have happened if Shashoon had died after she walked out of the medical bay. Most likely she would have been kicked off of the Marauders permanently and sent back to her cold dry cell back on Agriz 12, left alone for days as she tried not to scream out in pain when the Hype reared its ugly head. Part of her felt that she deserved to be sent back there anyway for even letting herself go that far. She wanted to apologize to Shashoon, apologize with more then just words for her selfish, hateful actions that almost lead to him dying a few scant hours earlier.

Thankfully she had something in mind. Pausing at the door to Shaso͞on's quarters, she took the pot she was carrying under her arm and set it neatly next to the door, where he would be sure to spot it. In it was the remains of the strange red plant whose gooey discharge had saved its life. After it had burst, Reena was surprised to find the husk of the plant had transformed into a beautiful wide-petaled flower in a pleasant shade of mint green, far removed from the ugly bulbous wart it had once been. Straightening the petals out neatly, Reena placed a small placard at the roots, which read in light green lettering-

"The Shaso͞on Blossom"

Staring at the little memento, she still felt it wasn't enough to show how truly remorseful she was about what she almost did. Still, it was a start, and it did make her feel a little better about enjoying her upcoming time off. Resuming her happy humming, she made her way to the exit hatch and stepped off the ship with the others, feeling better then she had in a long time.

As she had no pressing matters to attend to, aside from a few more supplies and maybe a few rounds at the bar afterwards, Reena elected to remain at the ship entrance with Tango on the off-chance the rookies arrived before the captain returned. She was interested in seeing the fresh recruits for the Marauders, maybe even another Sorlas from one of the big Clans back home. She was eyeing a few lost-looking Sorlas travelers hopefully when she heard heavy footfalls nearby, which stopped a few feet away.

"I was told to come and meet the crew of the Monroe," came a low-pitched, almost synthetic voice a few paces away "Which I'll be joining."

Reena turned to look at the speaker, the blank surprise on her face hidden safely behind the helmet of her environmental suit. Quickly regaining her composure, she took a moment to look over this rather large recruit for the team, eyes drifting from the blue face markings to the assault rifle slung across his back. Needless to say, this man was not a Sorlas. In fact, she wasn't entirely sure what this character was at all, though judging by his build and his choice of weapon, he must have been a soldier or mercenary, someone who had seen a lot of action before coming here. Most of all, she was struck by the tone which he had introduced himself with. Proud and forceful, he spoke as though he was the biggest badass in the universe, and he would take you on any day of the week to prove it. Whatever the reasoning behind it, Reena was going to enjoy having this guy on the team, that was certain.

"You're in the right place for that," Reena said in response, taking a few steps to close the gap a bit and extending her hand in friendship. "My name is Reena Vaemas val Mari'Dosvin. Who do I have the pleasure of introducing to the Marauders?"

The sight always impressed Raymond. To reach the Council elevator you had to cross a large glass bridge that looked straight through the Spire. So many different species were on this bridge it was a wonder that it held the collected weight. All the species of the known galaxy could be seen just by walking this bridge. Spire officers patrolled the area as well. The sight below them was an impressive one. Billions of lights flickering as you looked down the center of the massive Hub, you could see the river flowing down, and then trickle out into the small circle where the Spire ended... But they weren't here to sight see.

Raymond Chase walked steadily through the crowds, Rae and Pip by his side. After the conversation with the man he didn't think he was going to kill anyone or would be more dangerous than letting Ray walk around with a gun, so he simply cuffed him and that was it. It had been a while since he walked through this bridge. This would be the same room where he was Court Marshaled and sentenced to the Rock. He was also sent here to be told that he was now Captain of an exploration team. He had mixed emotions about this place, and none of them were really good. The three entered the elevator, and were brought straight up. The metal tube would briefly show them space outside of the Spire, and the star they orbited. It was a brilliant orange. "They will want a detailed report of what exactly happened." Raymond said quietly, his right hand holding down his left to stop it from twitching. "We can spare them the details of how I almost died out in space." Ray said, then he looked at Pip. "I wouldn't suggest using your colorful language. Only very few of them still have their senses of humor. We all just give them what they want, they thank us or don't, and then we'll be out in space again." He was rambling now, but it was probably just him trying to calm his own nerves. He didn't want to lose it in front of them.

The doors opened to a very large circular room with large windows, each showing the terrain and weather of each home planet of the Council's race. Noi, Muck, Losc, Nox, and Earth. The Galactic Council was all there, all 31 of them, but each representative and Grand Chairman sat in the front. The three walked, their footsteps echoing on the marble floor. "Captain Raymond Chase of the Marauders, Doctor Luirae Driani of the Monroe, and Pip Bernadotte of Earth." The Chairman spoke, his voice booming through the room. "You all have had a critical role in the new civil war of the Sekvali from what I can see... Captain, Doctor, you are here to debrief us of the events and to give us a full report of the antidote to the poison... and Sir Bernadotte this will be your hearing for attempting to stow away on a Committee ship."

The room fell silent, Raymond gave a nod of confirmation. "Well? Who would like to speak up first?" Representative Kail asked, rather frustrated and looked at both Raymond and Pip with a bit of disgust.

Pip had been quit the whole way in the elevator. He was simply waiting for them to come up. He knew exactly what was gonna happen. He knew who these people where and had worked for most of them. However it had always been the main council. So he could not express his joy once he saw the entire council sitting there looking at him. Some of them had been on his hit list, and almost all of them had hired him to clean up. He chuckled a little as some of the members started to recognize him and tried to keep there cool. Pip looked at the guards who where either in plain sight or standing in the shadows in case things went wrong. He knew he could kill them if he wanted but because he owed the captain one decided that a bloodbath was not a good idea.

"Well? Who would like to speak up first?"

First he looked at the captain who was trying to stay his cool and partially succeeding. He then looked at the doc who you could see wanted to get away. And since neither of them didn't step forward Pip decided to break the ice and slowly walked forward. Step by step he got closer to the council members. The metal thuds on the floor was the only sound in the room. He could feel the fear some of them had. He could practically taste the sweet aroma of it. It was like a fox had got it's way into a chicken pen.Then in the middle of the council he stopped. There was a silence in the room that seemed to last eons. But then Pip spoke." Now before we begin i would like to show you all my face. It would be rather rude of me not too." With that said he broke his cuffs with ease and looked back at the captain and said." You really should get better cuffs next time." The guards in the meantime had put there hands on there weapons and where eyeing Pip. Pip then raised his left hand to his helmet and clicked on a small button. His visor them slid open and the sound of escaping sound could be heard. But also the sounds of small cogs and machines rattling was heard. The chairman looked at Pip's face with a mix of disgust and fear. The guard who looked at him simply looked away there hands trembling a little. most Council members simply looked away while others simply tried not to vomit. However there where some members that acted that nothing was the matter. These where the one's who had hired him more than once. Pip looked at them for a while before actually speaking. His french accent was now easier to make out since a mask wasn't in the way.

" Well then you had some questions for me yes?"

Once they've docked at the port, Tahillie had little over three hours of sleep, considering that he needed only two hours of sleep; oversleeping was not a good thing. He stared at the spire as his memories of the place came to him from his younger years. He shook his head to dismiss the memories as he gotten off the ship, heading to the one bar where he was suppose to meet with an old friend from his younger years. He doubted that anyone from his sector from when he was a soldier.

He watched Raymond, Rea, and the new person leave towards the Spire to speak with the Council men from their last mission. He started to wonder if any of the councilors will ask about him, but he doubted that they would. He took his his first steps towards the loading areas, looking at the random ships and crates, along with whatever else was going on. He mostly ignored the small talk that some of these beings were talking about.

Going further into the Spire, he noted that a lot has changed since the last time he was here. He continued his was to the elevators, trying to make his way down the spire where the pubs for the lower classes were.

"It has been awhile since I've came here." He murmured to himself.

He continued on his small journey, only to stop at a small shop that is almost completely hidden unless they knew where to find it. He entered the small shop, dust clung to objects and particles floated in the air, he made his way to the back room to find a small gambling ring. Women of different species sat next to men of a higher class.

"It has been a long time, Talley." an older alien spoke.

"That is has, Kirllian." Tahillie replied as he turn to face a smaller alien.

Kirllian chuckled as she motioned him to follow. He complied as he followed her farther back of the ring. An Android stood guard of the smaller room than the front. He sat down on one of the cushions as he waited for the small alien to seat herself.

Kirllian sat herself and stared at him."What brings you here, my Friend." She asked, looking at one of the Androids to bring something to drink. "You only come here for information or to buy something where you cannot buy on the surface."

"I need information on this virus and Firewall that these space rats had on their mainframe." Tahillie pulled out a small microchip from his pouch and places it on the table. "I also need a new visor, and a few new holograms Kir, along a few plants, parts, and other necessities that the Monroe crew may need." Tahillie said as he was offered a cup of Bailong tea.

Kirllian chuckled as she sipped on her tea. "An Ex-soldier asking for help is a lot yes?" She gave him a toothy smile, "but you are an old friend of a friend, Talley. How long before the Crew leaves?"

"Not long, give or take a few hours. The latest will be tomorrow morning." He replied, setting the cup back on the table that was provided for him. "The information can be sent to me, VIA Cyberspace, the rest of the items can be delivered once we dock at the nearest port away from the Spire, Kir."

"I'll see that it will be done. The plants I can get for you will be delivered in two hours, the rest will have to wait." Kirllian told him.

Tahillie nodded before he said his goodbyes, "THE payment will be sent through carrier, Kir. And..." Tahillie sighed a little before looked at the little alien, "thank you for your help."

Kirllian simply smiled as she watched him take his leave.

Galvus took a moment to size up the amphibious being in front of him, taking in every small detail about her. From the somewhat bulky envirosuit to her stance and breathing pattern, putting together his own little psych profile on her before replying. When he finally did, after a considerable delay, took her hand and shook it vigorously. "I go by Galvus Velinian, and I'm honored to join." He chuckled a bit after his introduction, taking his hand back and crossing his arms in the process.

If he had the option, this would've been the point where he would launch into a monologue about his achievements as a soldier of fortune, but he decided against it. Reena looked like someone he might end up attached to for one reason or another, and it helped to not sound like a megalomaniac in front of someone who might be saving your ass in the foreseeable future.

"What is it you do for the Monroe? You don't see many Sorlas on exploration ships these days." Velinian decided to take a few steps on to the massive ship, choosing to pull a mandible back in a smirk at the security officer from no less than five minutes ago, who was still glowering at the lizard.

Returning from death was rarely a pleasant experience. In the void, the lost tended to see their lives played before them; a final chance to relive every success and failure seen in a lifetime, a chance to reflect on all of the wrongs they've done. For the Ju'yavāl it was a moment of ecstasy as they basked in the glory of their entire species, sharing with them every emotion and experience their people have ever felt before becoming one with the force that connected them all. Shaso͞on had been robbed of that moment twice. Once when his connection to the neural network of the Ju'yavāl was severed and was left to die in the company of his kin, again when he succumbed to the Sekváli poison and realized that he could never join his people in the Shakseer. Shaso͞on in his moment of death was made aware of how his existence would someday end and there would be no mourning among the Ju'yavāl over his death, nor would their be a celebration of his life and the warm embrace of a thousand generations past. He would one day die and that would be the end.

The damson coloured Ju'yavāl snapped awake, swinging his hands at an invisible enemy, the metal door crying out like crackling lightning as his hands bludgeons themselves against it. He nearly screamed, his mind seeming to resume from the moment of near-death, his entire body trembling as he brought his limbs back in and held them tightly against himself. It took him some time to find what little calm he could muster before he found himself meditating and trying to peer into the Shakseer for some form of guidance or comfort. There was little to be found, his emotional state too volatile to enact such focused and precise work. His connection was fragile enough that the sound of footsteps was enough to rip him from his trance.

He could tell who it was after a quick reach out to the mind of the nearest person. He made no attempt to look into what had happened while he was under, simply not having the strength in him to subtly comb through her thoughts for whatever it was that had happened. He'd help himself to that information soon enough, he decided, sliding the door open to see what her reason was for coming by. Before him sat a small soft green plant staring back at him, adorned with a placard stating what he suspected was his name. The other word was lost on him, but he assumed it meant well enough. He reached out of his room and pulled it in, the plant taking most of the little space that was left in his room. Shaso͞on's eyes squinted and he cocked his head in his people's version of a smile, running his fingers through the silky petals.

Shaso͞on watched the plant for some time, feeling some closeness to he small leafy object that shared more with his species than the bipedal species that populate both this ship and most of the galaxy. Silently he patted the plant and stood, nearly falling when he began to move out of the room, pausing briefly to pick up the plant and take it with him. He was fully dressed, wearing the traditional warrior clothing that he typically shrouded himself in, as well as the urellian clasps which generally got past weapon checks due to his species' secretive nature. His mind was racing as he began to reach out, being flooded with the sensations of the thousands of bodies in their immediate vicinity. It had been a long time since he allowed himself to be surrounded by so many sentients. As he approached the exit of the ship, he caught sight of the one that had given him the plant he had contemplated thanking her. The sight of the other being discouraged him from bothering. Like most things, it could wait. He slid past them in silence, drawing his hood up as he moved past and descended from the ship into the bustling bay where dozens of other ships of all sizes surrounded them.

Shaso͞on, doing his best to not be overwhelmed by the booming of a thousand voices in his mind, walked through the crowd in search of a window where he and his new friend could bask in the light of the nearby star and find nourishment. When he found his spot, he stood, plant cradled in his left arm, his right hand planted on the window as he stared out into the void in which the red giant sat. It was there that he found the ability to be at ease. The emptiness had always calmed him. For a moment he felt peace.

But only for a moment.

Galvus Velinian, Reena thought to herself as they finished shaking hands. With a name like that, he could only have been a Zaetherian. Not many people knew about this reptilian race, but the Sorlas of Clan Dosvin were well acquainted with their legions. The Clan had many operations in the galaxy, so much that even Reena knew of only a scant few, but most of the ones she knew of were in close proximity to Zaetherian colonial worlds. Consequently, the Zaetherians were as much a threat to Clan Dosvin's operations as the Galactic Committee's law enforcement branch was, perhaps even more so, given how easily the Zaetherians could deploy their ruthlessly efficient legions to oppose Clan Dosvin's actions. Despite this antagonism, Reena had a great respect for the Zaetherians, and much of Clan Dosvin felt the same way. Sure they were the enemy, but the Zaetherian's courage, loyalty, and honor were unquestionable, and no good Sorlas could speak ill of those traits without speaking ill of themselves in turn. In a sense, Clan Dosvin saw the Zaetherians as a worthy rival, and while Reena didn't know if the Zaetherians felt the same was about Clan Dosvin, she got the impression that there would be a competition between her and Galvus at some point.

Most of all, she hoped that her encounter with this Zaetherian ended better then the last one. While she appreciated the impact on her life that the last Zaetherian she met had on her, she didn't want her encounter with Galvus to end with a sniper's bullet slamming into her chest again.

"What is it you do for the Monroe? You don't see many Sorlas on exploration ships these days," Galvus commented, stepping onto the ship and shooting a smirk at someone behind her. The sensors in her suit indicated the security guard scowling back at him. Must have been the same man who had flagged her for carrying drugs when she first arrived here, the ssilast.

"My official titles are xenobiologist and data analyst, but we tend to do a little bit of everything, fighting included," Reena informed him as her looked over the vessel. "And no, travelling around the galaxy isn't exactly something the Sorlas are known to do, but I'm making it work." She internally debated whether or not to show him around the vessel herself, but she suspected that the Captain would want to meet him first before he got settled in.

"If you don't mind me asking," Reena continued. "How did you end up in the Marauders? I'll admit I didn't expect a Zaetherian to be joining us in exploring the cosmos either."

@Marx

Elyse excitedly shuffled around her room, gathering data sheets and images and stuffing them into a folder. She was glad to be back on land. It meant that she could visit her supervisor, Atticus; the person supporting her voyage on the Marauder's ship. Her supervisor also was helping her write her research journal. It was kind of a big deal since it was the first journal from a scientist that took the data while in space in years. Soo, it was easy to say that Elyse was thrilled to be on the Marauder's crew.

After all of the space rat attacks and constant need for an extra hand on repairs, Elyse hadn't done as much research as she would have liked to in the few weeks that she had been on the spaceship. Fortunately, though, the little research she did looked very promising! She knew there was a few things in the data sheets and images that were extremely fascinating. Atticus was going to be just as happy as she was with the data she gathered.

With her heart full of enthusiasm, Elyse stuffed her folder into her satchel and grabbed her jacket before heading out of her room. She'd left it in a mess, but it was necessary in order to find all of the important data. Soon, Elyse was stepping out of the ship and into the docking bay. She noticed Reena with a new recruit and waved with a smile. She didn't have time to stop and introduce herself, but she knew she'd be able to meet them later on.

As soon as Elyse's feet touched the platform for the bay, she stopped to look at the wonders of the spire. This place never ceased to amaze her. It was gorgeous, and huge. A perfect example of how the gravitational pull of the supergiant that the spire orbited could keep such a large thing intact. She smiled as she thought over every scientific fact about this place before making her way towards the exit for the bay, knowing she only had a few hours to talk to Atticus and make her way back here.

Elyse walked along, looking around at the other crusaders and travelers in the bay. A figure standing next to a window caught her attention, though. He seemed to be amazed, and relaxed, at the sight of the nearby star's enormous presence. The most curious thing about him was the plant he held in his arms. She gasped softly when she recognized the figure. It's Shaso͞on! He's alive!

The last time that Elyse had heard any news about the brave Ju'yavāl was that he was being treated to a newly made antidote to the space rat's poison. It had worked, but the poor crew mate was in a coma. I guess he woke up in time to relax on the Spire.

With a smile on her face, Elyse headed over to Shaso͞on. She'd never really had a long conversation with him, but he never seemed intimidating or unfriendly to her. At the moment, the way he was holding the plant and leaning against the thick glass made him look as harmless as a flower.

"Shaso͞on! You're okay!" She said, hoping to get his attention before she startled him. "I'm glad to see that." She smiled at the armor-clad man before her, hoping he would accept her friendly nature. "Who gave you the plant? It's very nice."

Elyse continued to smile up at the tall, dark figure. Maybe this was a chance to get to know him better.

"Uuugggh." It's been a bit really. A few days now without sleep? Nothing a whole ten or so hours of sleep couldn't cure! "Make it twelve." Tymea muttered as she pulled herself off her work desk. Nowhere near as comfortable as a pillow, but close enough for a weary scientist. "Gāisǐ de. We at the spire yet?" As unusually quiet as the ship was, she could only assume as much. "Guess I should get going, I need to pick a few things up."

With that, the tired woman wobbily stood up. She was still wearing her lab coat and whatever clothes she was wearing before she fell asleep. "Guess no one wanted to change me, eh? Hehehe." Obviously, the scientist was still really tired and not exactly thinking straight. "I should get going before the captain decides to leave the spire. . . These clothes will be fine I think." People could think what they wanted, Tymea still knew she was smarter than them, plus they couldn't know they clothes were already worn.

Before leaving, she grabbed an over-the-shoulder bag to take with her and whatever she'd need for money. Hard to buy supplies without money. "Mmkay. That should be fine. Time to leave I guess." Signs of the crew members outside of her lab were non-existant. There wasn't a sign of anyone until she saw Reena and some mystery lizard-man.

At first she stayed back and stared at the lizard for a bit a little hazy eyed. At first it was why was he here? That was easy enough to assume, to join the Marauders. New members for this type of thing were fairly common. The second was, what was he? Tymea was rather. . . Unaware of a multitude of the different alien species prior to joining the Marauders. She had a chance to ask later she needed to go out for now, to be safe though. . . She made her way over to Reena, "Make sure the ship doesn't leave without me. I'll be sad." Walking past the lizard-man that towered her, she reached up to his shoulder and patted it. "We'll talk later." The lab-coat wearing woman said with a half tired smile and then left into the majority of the spire. . . Right after telling off a security guard and then confusing him.

Finally in the main activity hub of the spire, Tymea could only hope to look around for something nice. For example, cheap prices on the nicely made circuits! Oddly, something else caught her eye. It was the crewmate of hers that went and got himself poisoned by stupid rats. "About damn time her got himself moving. Or maybe I just locked myself in the lab. . ." That could have easily been a possibility. Still, unless he and the other crewmate came to her, the scientist wasn't going to bother them while looking for good pieces of electronics or robotics.

Galvus nodded at Reena's first response. She did look like the one who would hole up in a forensics lab and study something, or, if his guess was right, make something as well. A particular Sorlas clan and his entire race have had a bloody past and, most likely, a future stained with various colors of blood. Out of the battles fought, a mutual respect had been born. Dosvin, he believed the clan was named, was essentially a tight-knit family of professional criminals, and just about everyone under the name had a bounty on their heads within any Zaetherian-owned space.

"If you don't mind me asking," Galvus snapped out of his thoughts as she began. "How did you end up in the Marauders? I'll admit I didn't expect a Zaetherian to be joining us in exploring the cosmos either." As he opened his mouth to speak, but closed it as a strange character rushed by as if he was late for a meeting. With a plant.

Deciding to shrug the interruption off, he tried to start again. "Well, I was caught providing security for a known drug smugg-" This time, a stocky girl in a lab coat and disheveled clothing came from the Monroe's interior.

The woman approached Reena in a state that suggested either extreme fatigue or drunkenness. There wasn't the scent of alcohol lingering around her, so the lizard assumed the latter and crossed his arms impatiently. "Make sure the ship doesn't leave without me. I'll be sad." She then turned and started walking, but didn't leave before placing a hand on Galvus' shoulder. "We'll talk later." The human then stalked off, leaving the amphibian and lizard to talk once more.

"...As I was saying, I got caught providing security for a known drug smuggler on an inner colony. I was already a well know criminal at the time and the cops finally got their hands on me, so I was put on trial and given a death sentence. Then the Committee swooped in, said they needed someone who could kill efficiently when a firefight breaks out. Long story short, I got my guns back and they sent me here on a crappy transport ship." The Zaetherian moved a bit deeper into the hangar bay, sitting on a crate near the entrance.

Substantially more cheerful after seeing Shaso͞on's obvious interest with the plant she left for him, Reena listened to Galvus' story with great interest, taking a seat on a crate as he regaled how he was forced onto the team. A well-known criminal, notable enough to be given a death sentence before the Committee swept in and saved the day? She had set up an entire drug smuggling operation and even then the judges balked at the idea of capital punishment. This Zaetherian must have some truly entertaining stories to tell.

"Drug smuggling, eh? I was caught at the other end of the chain," Reena responded with a barely restrained chuckle. "I was a manufacturer for the Clan before my imbecile of a brother broke the wave and brought down the whole operation. Almost died when they assaulted my compound, but when I came around I decided that I wanted to...er, that I didn't want to spend the rest of my life in prison, so I volunteered for the Marauders." Reena internally scolded herself for almost breaking form and gushing about her rekindled interest in the sciences. He doesn't need to be bored to death about how exciting you find the metabolic functions of fauna in different balances of oxygenation, for Malunista's sake.

"For the record, that one is Tymea L’cint, the Marauder's science officer, depending on who you ask," Reena pointed out, gesturing at the departing figure in the lab coat. "And the guy with the plant was Enok Shaso͞on. One of our 'aggressive negotiators', so to say."