As one of the first space stations to have been constructed by the Earth Federation, Space Station Solus (Or "Triple S") is still an impressive space station to behold. It has a cool retro 2050s style, consisting of many sleek curvatures and elegant archways, with a romantic touch of fantasy added in. Already being active for a good 30 years or so, it's famously known as a major trading pub for the Earth Federation, as well as an entrance way into the vast networks of different solar systems in the Perseus and Orion-Cygnaus Arms. In return, it services as the last major stop until you hyperspace to the Federation's homeworld of Earth. This system is also known for the Ivirnius species, who have been the Federation's first and closest closest ally since their arrival.

Within Station Level 34b, just a little distance from Hangar K, lies the central Headquarters of the Galactic Adventure Hunting Lodge, also known as GAHL. Founded and directed by Richard M. Malkovich, the name basically speaks for itself. It's a legal hunting lodge that makes money off various deals, sunny or shady, by exploring new uncharted worlds and hunting for creatures desired by their clients. Of course, not many support their job hunting these creatures, but they're legal as long as they keep to several guidelines and restrictions. Regardless they aren't all about hunting as previously stated, it's just that its simply based around it.

Now having just hyperspaced on the west side of Solus, GAHL's personal transport ship, SC Sirius, has arrived right on schedule. It's coming back with a wide variety of hunter, both old and new, yet all unique in their own right. Onboard, is Commander Rickland, a human male who is one of the oldest members of GAHL. He has been tasked in collecting these (mostly) new recruits and is finally returning back to home base to meet up with the CEO. Traveling to the cockpit of the ship, he presses a button that directly contacts Mr. Malkovich on the station.

"Malkovich, this is Rickland aboard the SC Sirius," contacts the Commander in a slightly British-tone, "I've just returned with our new hunter recruits. Permission to land in Hangar K, over."

A short pause deafened the cockpit, until came a response.

"Roger, this is Malkovich. Permission granted to land in Hangar K. Welcome Back Commander Rickland." a deep, if slightly-raspy voice came on the speakers.

Slowly, the Sirius gets into position as it slowly lands in the Hangar Bay dedicated for them, with a low hum emitting throughout the ship as it lands softly in the hangar bay.

" I'm currently in the main office," Malkovich says on the speaker to Rickland, "So so just take them there. I'll give you all your assignment there."

"Roger." the Commander responds, "We shall be there shortly, over."

With that, he stands back up and heads to the passenger room, where he can see all the faces of the new hunters, all looking ready for their first missions. Rickland simply smiles as he claps his hands, getting their attention.

"Alright everyone," he says, "Here we are. Triple S station. Gather your belongings and follow me to the Headquarters. You'll get a brief intro first, followed by your first assignment there. All of your questions will be answered there if you have any, so let's go, on the double!"

He turns and exits the ship, waiting for everyone to gather their stuff and to follow him.

Brek

^{Location: Passenger Room}

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---

However long the trip was to Triple S, Brek had stood at the back of the passenger compartment for the duration of it, nearly unmoving. Every so often his helmeted head would turn to observe the others, his surroundings, or he would cross his arms. He didn't speak to the others in the passenger compartment either. The only response anyone could get out of him, had they tried, was a gruff grunt of acknowledgement or a growl of annoyance. He never even bothered to give them his name. There were more important matters taking up his attention.

For the moment, his main objective was to observe the others. From what Brek could tell initially, the others aboard the ship were giants compared to him, and a few seemed to be less organic than he expected them to be. Other cultures often made his head hurt, when it came to their treatment of inorganic creatures. Mechanical beings or anything semi-mechanical were meant to work mines and crack asteroids-- and that was all. Why were they programming them to have self-awareness on other planets? Some of them even seemed to have complex programming that mimicked organic sentience-- but that was all it was, programming.

To say he took issue with the presence of these "tools" was an understatement. No matter how lifelike they may be, Brek knew they had their place in the lower tier.

The others were subject to his more complex judgments, however. While the Commander was easy to adjust to, seeing as he was simply the one in charge, the others would take time. Brek needed to know where they belonged in the KosRah. Were they above or below him? Were they on the same level? What perks did they receive for their position? How was he to interact with them individually versus as a group? Truth was, Brek's aloof attitude was wholly due to his current discomfort with the chaos meeting groups of new species presented.

The eventual presence of the Commander put Brek at ease, however. Knowing where at least one other being was on the KosRah always settled his nerves. When the Commander spoke, Brek obediently listened. Both of Brek's weapons were bonded to his armor by variable metallic holster plates, letting them rest comfortably on his back so, when it came time to move, he was ready. Wither he was the first or the last off the ship, he didn't much care, but Brek stepped forward as soon as their Commander ordered he do so.

This was familiar territory for Maya, Imarusa β or otherwise known as Alpha Centurai β to humankind held a place close to her own heart. She felt at ease as the ship sailed through the majestic oceans of space, her homeland. The Ivari had always held a positive bond with humanity from the very first days of their arrival, Maya respected them, they were dedicated, adventurous and at times believed in working in groups to achieve a higher purpose, traits that her own people upheld strongly. Maya remained within the passenger bay with the rest of the crew, she looked rather content and amused, perching herself backwards off the edge of a luggage crate with her head towards the ground and feet fidgeting and kicking upwards towards the sky, she looked almost like a small child searching for a random way to amuse herself. She did however appear to be meditating or praying to some sort of important deity, her eyes closed and lips whispered in personal prayer, clearly in the language of her own people and her translator turned off. Her fingertips glowed a gentle blue tint as a bottle of water would appear to float miraculously beside her head, a straw perking out towards her lips.

This was Mayas first time to the human station SOLUS, despite being a resident to the solar system she never had the opportunity to visit. Maya was never a fan of space stations, they felt artificial and unrealistic, they really couldn't compare to the real thing, tree's, real oxygen and the outdoors was an environment she grew up around, so finding herself within such a location made her less than comfortable.

Maya soon ceased her personal praying, this was a regular sight for non Ivari when observing them first hand, many people believe them to be a little too spiritual, getting lost in their own beliefs and thoughts and at times forcing them upon other species, Maya however believed in individuality and she'd tend to keep it to herself. Her eyes opened as she felt the ship decelerate, her senses noticing a difference in vibrations coming from the ships engines, with this change her focus aimed upon her fellow hunters, they were an intriguing group to observe however the vast majority of them expressed an less than organic nature apart from one woman she believed to be called Harriet, her organic and plant-like appearance widened both her eyes and her interest, with peaking childish curiosity she'd gracefully levitate herself back and off from her perched position to stand fully upright.

As she'd joyfully move towards the beautiful organic presence her fingertips would once again glow as her water bottle would float to take grip into her right hand and a large rifle also perched upon the luggage boxes would manoeuvre itself to her other hand, lighting up and activating in recognition of her own identity. However her interest in Harriet was cut short as a loud clap caused her long pointed ears to twitch, a sound more sensitive to her than the others. With a slight shock her head would snap towards Commander Rickland as he'd grab everyone's attention. She'd almost look like a deer caught in headlights, glaring at him and giving a cheeky and awkward grin and another twitch of her ears, it was almost rather cute. "Be right there boss!" She'd say cheerily with an accent closely representing Human Irish before moving onward with a swift little bounce to her step.

Ah, finally heading back to the good ol' Hunting Lodge. It had been nearly three and a half years since she'd been back. Her last job went horribly wrong leaving her stranded for two years even after the long term she'd been there before it all blew up. Thank the stars her previous commander had had the foresight to plan for hazards that may befall his team. That was just about the only thing that saved her from indefinite detainment and tests. Visiting alien worlds meant all manor of potential injuries, infections and the like. After being cleared as a non-contagion the woman was allowed to go.

Placed on the SC Sirius with a number of other members and new recruits Harriet was on her way to be debriefed. This entire time she had been mostly out of contact and had not yet had the chance to explain what had happened. Whilst onboard she was kept somewhat away from the others. While she may not be a biological danger there was still a lot unknown about what kind of creature she'd become. Sitting alone near the front she glanced about at the others. Amazing how many species signed on for the GAHL. Every time there were always new ones that she'd never seen. In the past she'd been a little leary of other species. That was probably terrible of her but her experience opened her eyes. As alien to herself as she was to them she had resolved to be kinder to them. Well, once she was allowed to interact anyway.

The ship arriving at the station the were docked in a hangar and Commander Rickland addressed them once everything was good for them to leave. Their orders seemed to cut off someone that had taken interest in the plant woman. Familiar with GAHL procedures she headed out as ordered. "Yes sir." Was her succinct reply.

Everything felt different, odd. It was difficult to describe. A place like this was not unusual to her but her altered state of being changed her senses. She could feel subtle changes in temperature, various scents and fragrances that ordinarily would pass of as normal, and smell and even taste the carbon dioxide in the air. Probably the one sense that suffered from her transformation was the sense of touch. She simply did not have the same sensory nerves like before. Probably the best way to describe it was that she noticed pressure than actually feeling it.

The wanderings of her mind were drawn back into the present goings on as they were escorted to HQ. Again placed aside she awaited an commander or officer to approach her or give her instruction. Supposedly something was to be done with her specifically, but the details were never relayed to her. Watching the other hunters filter in she got a better look at them from this vantage. Though Harriet felt that she stuck out like a sore thumb.

---

Zavid was quiet throughout the trip. He noted all of the others silently, using his implants on his suit and helmet to keep himself busy. His arms lay in hos lap, and he sat as still as a statue. Even when the ship jostled and shook during the flight, he seemed unaffected. In fact, most of the time, his eyes were closed as he started thinking about the place they were going to.

A soft ping, inaudible to the others alert him to a message from Brandt. Opening his eyes he reads it, letting out a sigh. Brandt was on assignment and would be off soon, but Zavid had this thing with the GAHL, and he wasn't sure he'd be able to see him anytime soon. Shame, since Brandt wanted to meet up again, since he's been out of contact for the past six months.

He keeps himself calm, for the rest of the trip. He notes that the Centepede wasn't meant for long trips. And that the suit needed to be able to retract better. For now, he's got it on since he doesn't feel like carrying fifty pounds of metal and hardlight tech. Sure, no one can even use it wothout the right implants, and it's keyed to his biometrics, but he's not risking anything. As they near the station, he moves silently as he grabs his gear, the suit is eerily silent, even his steps are silent. As if his boots never even touch the ground. He stands where he is told to, eyes scanning the space station. He was brought here, once, after he was discharged from the military. That was years ago, and it looks like things have changed. The place is bigger, busier and louder. He looks rather odd, being taller and bigger in build here than most of the humans. He can spot a few of the Giantis around, who stick out like a sore thumb with their immense builds. It reminds him of his own lover, and how much he misses him.

He falls in line as they head to the HQ, a hand on his blade at his right hip. His rifle is strapped to his back, using the built in mag strips Shinzo designed. Over all, his suited form draws in many eyes, as it's unusual to see tech above level three on a civilian, and this stuff is a Level 7. It requires a special license, which Zavid has as Shinzo refuses to let the Federation trial his stuff. They don't bother him for it, as he's kept them well prepared for nearly anything, and he's not above outright coersion. And they say Zavid's bad...

As always when it was in the presence of numerous biological lifeforms, Dremorio had the vague sense of being a visitor in some sort of galactic petting zoo. While an absurd notion on its own, there was something to be said about the efficiency and grace of Dremorio’s species when compared to the alternatives scattered across the galaxy. Certainly the dryht had to have some modicum of superiority over the biological races, elsewise they wouldn’t have successfully subjugated any race they set their sights upon. It was a little known fact outside of dryht space that their empire boasted the largest slave labor force known to the galaxy. The only problem that fact posed was the very real threat of the human and ivari alliance, that likely would, either out of fear of suffering the same fate, or a misguided sense of morality, seek to liberate the subjugated races. A shame, as while dryht influence oftentimes raised the standard of living for the conquered planets, those opposing them likely wouldn’t see things that way.

Speaking of not quite seeing eye to eye on things, the stout little corek huddled at the back of the room had cast nothing but disapproving glances at Dremorio’s back. Maybe it (Dremorio assumed it was a he, but one could never be sure with how some of the biological races, particularly humans, seemed to crusade against labels ) didn’t realize that Dremorio had what humans might call “eyes on the back of his head”. The other individuals in the compartment, fortunately, didn’t seem to share the same prejudices. This would only make it look better when Dremorio tried to make nice with the corek. The antisocial little creature, Dremorio hoped, would come around eventually.

The actual act of socializing with the colorful cast surrounding it would have to wait, however, as the commander had just ordered them all off the transport. Dremorio began to exit the ship, carefully giving the corek a wide berth. The abnormally tall human, it too gave a wide berth. Why rest a hand on your weapon while in the presence of allies unless you intended to cause trouble? Dremorio decided to fall into step alongside the bubbly ivari. "Do you have any prior experience with GAHL?" The question came out as casual and personable, exactly as Dremorio intended it to. Behind the scenes, however, every word was carefully analyzed and processed to be delivered with the proper emotion and inflection, rather than the heavily synthetic monotone most of the dryht race sported when among their own kind. Even the slight british accent Dremorio chose to adopt for the assignment was a calculated choice. Most people seemed to appreciate the smoother human accents. Crisp, clean consonants and vowels eased communication for anyone speaking english, one of the dominant languages of the galaxy. Of course, Dremorio was fluent in the majority of known dialects, so the accent was for the benefit of those speaking with it, rather than for Dremorio itself.

---

---

Well it had been an interesting ride!... for a given value anyway, a little awkward of course, especially with some like that one guy who just stood in the back the whole time and didn't interact. Otherwise, Conversation had been relatively pleasant... that is to say, he introduced himself, and if someone replied a conversation started, and if not he just felt silly but laughed it off.

Ironically, the most unnerving thing he felt for the whole ride was riding 'inside' the ship the entire time with no chance of stepping out onto the hull... It was a novel experience, but something about breaking a familiar routine made his fur stand on end and caused him to feel a bit antsy, usually leading to attempts to converse with his potential companions... Of course, when Conversation eventually ran dry he had little to do but stay in his seat, cross his arms, and meditate himself through the rest of the ride...

Ironically, his meditation usually consisted of imagining himself outside the hull, where senses were dulled to the most extreme degree even while protected, where even the sound of his hammer smashing into a pirate's hull or window barely reached his ears, where there was no smell but his own under the Myst Field, and the only strong 'feelings' he had were his claws clinging to the metal under them. There were few places with less sensory distractions to interrupt one's meditation.

However, as was often the case, He lost track of time very easily and it seemed mere minutes before the transport's momentum shifted and he was woken by the sounds of the Captain's voice... With a quick shake of his head his eyes opened and snapped about for a second to reacquire his bearings... Oh dear, it seemed he was falling behind, that simply wouldn't do for his first day!

He quickly hopped up, kicking the head of his hammer to whirl it around onto his shoulder before grabbing the extra large pack containing what little else he carried for equipment, and immediately set off at a trotting pace to catch up with the other new arrivals... embarrassing, being the last off the ship like that, though maybe it'll fit better with the tallest of them in the back, where he won't block anyone else's sight?

Abigail was slumped against the washroom door, suit draped across her lap. She had a small shallow toolbox laid out on the bench next to her and was pointing a small cylinder of metal at an opened hatch on the suit. Every so often, there was a buzzing sound as a bright blue laser flashed briefly into the hatch from the cylinder and a wisp of smoke drifted lazily out of it. Abigail sighed and put the tube aside, peering anxiously at the door next to her. “Y-...you okay there buddy?” she called out hesitantly.

Brooks on the other hand was going through a living nightmare. His backside now having passed the one-hour mark, an imprint of the toilet bowl began to fester on his behind. As his face shifted back to normal colors from it’s previously bright-red state, Brooks voiced out an angry “I’M FINE.” - directed at the bathroom exit.

Abigail tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “You’re gonna miss the debriefing, we’re set to land in a couple hours…” she called out, going back to repairing the gravity core in her suit. Another flash of blue light, another buzz, and another wisp of smoke.

“Fuck the debriefing, I’m gonna miss my damn fifties! Ah God…” Brooks simmered down, taking in a deep breath as he tapped his foot, both hands pressing against the inner sides of the small toilet stall he had to squeeze himself into. Not even his armor gave him as much claustrophobia as these four, barely thick, cubicle walls did. “Just… gimme’ another minute!”

Abigail stifled another laugh. She pulled out another gadget, a pair of tweezers with machinery on the handle, and started re-arranging some more components in the core. “I’ve been giving you minutes for fuckin’ ages Brooksy,” she retorted wryly. With a smirk, she snapped the hatch back into place and felt underneath the suit for something. The hatch started to glow. “Do you uh...need me to go get you something to-” she broke off into a gigglesnort. “T-to speed things up a lil’?”

Brooks took in a deep, annoyed, breath through his nose at the comment.

Another eternity passed and Brooks finally found himself at the sink of the now too memorable bathroom he had spent almost his entire trip in. An unhappy scowl imprinted on his face as he shifted his thoughts on hurrying out and dealing with whatever comment Abigail had brewing for him. Opening the door with an aura of disdain, he shifted his grumpy scowl on the girl slouched down against the wall.

Abigail had already pulled her suit on and packed up her tools; she was playing with her holopad on her arm, peering at a map of the SC Sirius and various dots that were moving around it. She glanced up at Brooks with a wide, cocky grin, opened her mouth to say something, went “Ah-...mn. Goddamnit,” and stood up.

Brooks wasn’t impressed. He started walking in the direction of the passenger bay, speaking at Abigail who was trickling behind: “What? Say it.” he demanded, expecting the worst.

“Oh, no,” Abigail waved a hand dismissively. “I was going to say something...but it just wouldn’t come out right.”

Brooks closed his eyes, taking in another deep breath before speeding up his pace. Refusing to talk to the girl for the time. Abigail was positively howling with laughter, she could more than easily match Brooks’ pace and made good use of it by teasingly skipping around and ahead of him. It took her a good three minutes to calm down and regain her composure, along with a bunch of “C’moooon Brooksy”s and “I didn’t mean to hurt your delicate feelings”s thrown in.

The two entered the bay just as the Commander begun his talk. Abigail immediately fell silent as they slinked themselves into the nearest corner to quietly listen to the man’s words. Brooks let out a boisterous guffaw as Kaylx mentioned breakfast, but otherwise kept silent as many of the faces around had been new to him. Abigail thrust her hand up and immediately blurted “I second this notion. Brooks needs to refuel after-”

Brooks interrupted Abigail with a growl and deadly stare before awkwardly averting his eyes back onto the crew and commander, “Right after you, Sir.”

---

---

Before Rickland could fully get out the landing strip down to the hangar floor, he can hear both Kaylx and Brooks wanting something to eat after that long trip.

"Will they be servin' breakfast?" Kylax asked, "Because they did last time, and let me tell ya'll, their eggs Benedict would've made Lemuel himself swim in orgasmic ecstasy."

“I second this notion. Brooks needs to refuel after-” Abigail will also respond until Brooks interrupted by simply stating he'll be coming.

The Commander simply turns around towards the group, suddenly hearing his own stomach growl.

"Well, I suppose a quick brunch won't hurt anyone," he responds to both characters, "However, let's first have the intro meeting first. Then we can eat after. There's a handy diner down the hall from the office so you guys can all eat up and relax there before we go hunting."

He then hears the old man mention wanting a milkshake as well. Rickland simply chuckled at that response.

"And yes Kaylx," he responds, "They do serve milkshakes there."

As soon as everyone got out of the ship, they walked towards the southern entrance at the end of the hangar bay. A few rooms down the hallway and they turn to an elevator shaft. Rickland presses the call button from the holographic projector, and after a few minutes of waiting, the elevator finally shows up. As everyone piles into the elevator, Rickland presses button 33 as they will be taken up to level 33 from level 12. It would be a rather longish elevator trip, but eventually they reach the designated floor after a minute or two waiting.

Rickland would have them follow him down the hall to his right, curving towards their left...

Room 661... Room 663... 665...

Finally they reached GAHL's Office Room. Room 671. Rickland then activates a holopad from the entrance and enters the passcode to open the door in an effortless manner. The pad blinks twice in a flash of green as the doors slide open automatically to reveal the entrance.

The waiting room of the office was relatively large compared to the room they were in, yet it was also rather cozy. Instead of the traditional white boring walls of the rest of the offices, it simulated dark glossy wooden walls of an mid-2010s Earthian Log-cabin, with the floors also covered in the same material. Of course, this wasn't actually wood, as it would cost too much money to replace the white floors, but the holopads made a very convincing image of actual wood, both in looks and even the design and feel. Even the counters and tables were mostly made of wood, but also had nice stone-carvings within them. The seats were mostly sitting and lounging sofas, with a rugs looking rather generic but still had its purpose. A stone fire place is even seen to the far right, with a Holo-TV above the warm fire, along with several trophy-skulls of some creatures. Dangling lights illuminated the room and bookcases flanked each other farther inwards.

The room did indeed stimulate the feeling of a modern hunting lodge, which seemed quite fitting. As they continued walking in however, the President of GAHL, Richard Malkovich, finally stepped forward from behind the front desk with a friendly smile.

"Ah! Welcome fellow hunters. I'm Richard Malkovich, president of the Galactic Adventure Hunting Lodge. I'm almost ready to debrief you on your first mission, just setting things up in the Meeting Room. For the meantime, please, relax and get comfy. I'll let one of my security droids let you in once I'm ready. Give me, eh... 3 minutes please."

With that, Malkovich quickly heads back to the meeting room to make the last preparations before everyone can enter. Rickland simply drops his bag on top of a hangar near the bar, filled with a whole collection of different alcohol and wines, as he waits for Malkovich to finally call them in.

Brek

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---

Though he was the first off of the ship, Brek kept himself as far to the back of the group as possible. When they walked, he wanted all of them within his range of sight, so that observations could be properly made. Several were already interacting and a few seemed to be on familiar terms. For the most part, they all seemed too busy, too talkative, and too relaxed. Matter of fact, the ease with which they seemed to communicate, made Brek wonder if they all weren't previously acquainted before now. No, that couldn't be it.

Humans, from what he recalled, were very sociable and always seeking to make alliances. They were violent, greedy, and rather vain but, on the positive end of things, they were loyal and charismatic-- or so the reports he read had told him. Brek rarely interacted with humans. The higher castes were responsible for communicating diplomatically while he was simply a trained figurehead-- a demonstration of the Danakos warrior lineage and it's prowess. While he didn't debate his job, he knew it required he dial back his curiosities, his questions, for the sake of reports.

As a result, Brek continued walking alongside the group in silence. He continued to be unresponsive to any interactions that came his way. Keeping a distance, away from possible friendships or otherwise, was for the best. Needless relationships would distract him from objective reports, after all. If he could make it through this mission, satisfy the Assembly's requirements, then Brek knew he would be able to withdraw without incident, and return home in short time. He loathed to admit it but, he was having a particularly bad longing for Danakos this time.

Why hadn't they given him more time between missions?

An excursion to one of Danakos' moons, Mugrok, had yielded a vast amount of biological samples to study. Brek had received commendations for cracking the moon's surface, fighting off swarms of Danakos System Species# 89-FY, and living to tell the tale. Praises came down from the Assembly for him in such a way that rumors began to circulate that his caste may move forward-- then this mission came out of nowhere...

Brek entered the elevator in silence with the group, rode it in silence, and walked to the GAHL office room just as silently--

Wait, is that what humans called 'wood?'

Though Brek saw Richard, he was entirely not focused on the man. Immediately upon entering the room, Brek walked toward a table and, rather gingerly, grasped the edge of it then squeezed, then ran his hand over the surface. He felt it just fine through his gloves but, the material absolutely fascinated him. Why would anyone kill a plant just to make a table? Had there not been any caves in early human society? Shaking his head, Brek marked the waste of plant life up to simple human weirdness, then looked around the room.

It didn't take Brek long to find the darkest corner of the room-- you know the one, between some furniture and the wall? The one where the light didn't quite hit correctly and the firelight flickered eerily into-- that one-- that's the one he moved into. Brek stood there with the same statuesque posture he had on the ship, the same silence, and the same observational head turning. This time? He didn't even grunt to acknowledge anyone-- Brek was horrendously quiet-- lurking beneath the confines of his helmet and armor with award worthy antisocial ability.

---

Zavid follows the posse as they go through. His hand still rested on his blade, something he does out of pure habit. Eventually, he shifts the hand to rest his forearm on the hilt, his steady gait and silent steps making him seem like a phantom. He is reminiscent of the time he was hear, how he was force marched out and painted like a bad guy. He sighed as he remembers this, seeing as now things are different, he's got a steady boyfriend who supports him, a stable job and able to pursue the job he wants to do. In the elevator, Zavid takes a corner spot, popping his giant rifle off his back. It comes to about his stomach, at almost three and a half feet of barrel, stock and coils. It shimmers slightly, and he holds it close to himself, leaning on it.

He is silent, statuesque and stoic during the elevator. When he gets out, he puts the rifle on his back, making sure it sticks. The maglev strips are a bit wonky at tines and his suit is still in beta form. He just hopes it doesn't fail on him. Shinzo assured it would be fine, but the tinker was often lying about that.

When he enters the room, Zavid takes a spot where he also can watch the others. He observes Brek as he observes the tables. Zavid's HUD alerts him that tje floor is a holoprojection. He keeps the visor from seeing through it, though he notes that the holopads in the room are quite easy to access. He even has the code for the door memorized. When he is told to wait, he snags a seat.

As Maya bounced onward with joyous steps of enthusiasm. She'd let out a gentle sigh of relief to herself as Commander Rick appeared to either miss or ignore her moment of sudden confusion and general awkwardness. She felt somewhat more at ease now, especially as a familiar voice queried about breakfast; with perked ears she grinned impishly, looking over towards Kaylx and his robotic companion Anubis. Maya especially loved Anubis, she always had a thing for hounds considering her people used similar creatures for assistance in hunting, even if this one wasn't particularly organic in nature.

It was clear to say they had some general history, Maya even called Kalyx Pop as if to be some sort of older, wiser figure, a counter-balance for her child-like enthusiastic nature, she did however love his comedic and lighthearted edge, something she held personally within herself. They met soon after Maya left her planet behind in circumstances surrounding a joke which essentially included Anubis chasing after mysterious floating food and annoying a few patrons at said burger stand, Maya of-course found this hilarious and nothing more than a spontaneous venture in creating what little amusement to herself that she could.

As the commander ordered the groups departure towards the meeting room, she thought it wouldn't hurt to go over and say hello to Kaylx before the briefing. Stepping off enthusiastically in his general direction, her huge rifle trailing along behind herself in tow a voice behind her caught her off-guard in a moment of interruption as the voice would say: "Do you have any prior experience with GAHL?"

Spinning herself around towards the voice her eyes would widen, glaring up at the tall figure comprised of mostly metallic alloy, he looked rather intimidating yet his voice failed to match the appearance, as if it was almost translated through a device to sound inviting to her ears. Opening her voice to speak she'd then gasp, her enthusiasm wavering somewhat for mere seconds as a new thought crossed her mind; this was a Qurok, or more commonly known as Dryht due to their own enslavement to the larger species.

In terms of how history went, the Humans and especially the Ivari failed to have a particularly positive relationship with the Dryht. Their desire to enslave over countless other species certainly didn't bode well with the cultural views of her own species, especially since they considered their-selves to be a clan-like society based entirely on freedom to explore where they wished. Readying herself to reply she'd offer it a smile, her bubbly nature shining through the awkwardness. "Uh.. This would be a first! Heh! You.. Uh, you look very pointy and angular and... something..uhm, is tha- Oh.. Er.. Sorry, I've gotta go!" She'd say with in an awkward yet cautious manner, clearly in a hurry to bounce off as the others dispersed towards the elevator, her fingertips trailing a blue aurora behind her as the rather large rifle would miraculously flip up from her hand to a secure mount on her back, her orange cape fluttering along behind.

Arriving at the elevator she'd be one of the last to enter, squeezing herself in between the others that mostly towered over her. She'd hold her breath before giggling like a child. "Please guys, nobody fart in here." She'd say childishly, speaking the first thing on her mind.

As soon as the elevator arrived at it's destination she'd squeeze herself out, eyes glaring around at the larger station, the architecture was incredibly similar to what she was accustomed too back home, perhaps it was down to Ivarian assistance in building the human station. As if this couldn't get any better she opened her mouth with a gasp upon entering the holographic room, looking around excitably at the wooden furniture and surrounds. This was exactly like the homes of her people on Ivos, especially the one that she grew up in with her father and brother. Although the surroundings were so familiar it lacked the specific qualities of the real thing that she had become so accustomed to: The smell of the wood and bark, the creaking of the logs and the furniture and the howling of wind and birds outside, as much as it wanted to replicate the real thing it wasn't enough to convince a girl born to living in nature.

Taking a spot to observe the briefing she'd pull the large rifle down from her back, position it barrel downwards and would proceed to balance herself with crossed legs on-top of the standing rifle as if it were some sort of chair or stool, it was clear than this was made possible through the indication of her glowing blue fingertips, who knew that something so useful as telekinesis would resort to something such as balancing oneself essentially on the butt stock of an incredibly powerful cannon.

It was clearly something only Maya would do, and it totally matched her personality.

"Are we watching a movie? I like movies." She'd ask cheerily, the tip of her tongue sticking out from her lips.

Having moved on, all the the new arrivals were escorted to HQ and were waiting in the office before going to the meeting room. They were told to relax and socialize. It seemed that the woman that had taken an interest in her was talking with a man that had alerted Herriet to a couple other attendees. While she didn't really have qualms with interjecting her attention was now focused elsewhere.

The man, Kaylx, had comically asked about something to eat. This amused Harriet a bit, GAHL had a way of drawing in all kinds of characters. However another voice caused the woman's head to snap up and look around. The voice belonged to another young woman named Abigail, an old friend. While not super close Abigail and Harriet were kindred spirits and trained together before one of them landed a job through the GAHL. Brooks was even there, one of her trainers. Though to be fair she never knew him well. It had been nearly three and a half years since she'd seen either of them and it was almost surreal.

Taking a step closer she nearly waved and called out their names before catching herself. Maybe suddenly announcing who she was in a crowd wasn't ideal. It's not like they would know it was her. Face it, her transformation had left little untouched other than her humanoid form. It didn't actually cross her mind that she might run into any familiar faces. How exactly does one explain that she was back from the dead (records assumed all were lost when scans failed to pick up any human life) and was somehow turned into a walking plant? That was a tough one. After having a deer in the headlights look for far too long she drew a blank. No choice but to winging it.

Taking an entirely unnecessary breath Harriet made her way over to Brooks and Abigail. Giving them a smile and a wave she spoke up. Brooks and Abi. I never expected to see you again." The total looks of confusion (or potentially slight irritation in the case of Brooks) pretty much confirmed that they had no idea who just walked up or why she acted so familiar with them. Gesturing to her body she shrugged ever so slightly. "Sorry, I don't suspect anyone would recognize me like this. It's been a while and I'm not... really... the same." Words were failing her and the expressions of her companions conveyed that she was doing a poor job of explaining anything.

Alright fine, best to be more direct. "It's me, Harriet... You remember right, from training? We used to hang out a lot and put weird things in Brooks food when he wasn't looking. _Sorry." She chuckled before looking sheepishly at Brooks standing right there. It's not like he hadn't figured them out forever ago. To seal that she was the real deal, Harriet reached out and grabbed Abi's hand. The two had a reputation for causing trouble and after enough times they worked out a way to pass simple messages through lightly tapping the other's arm. Basically giving the "all's clear" signal she let go and waited for a reaction.

---

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Abigail excitedly nudged Brooks with his elbow when the diner was mentioned. “Think you can hold out till then?” she whispered mischievously, cracking a grin. Abigail was the first to leave and knew the way to the lodge off by heart; as she is wont to do, she made a light jog and wandered in front of everyone else - even Rickland. She kept looking around the hangar bay, helmet in hand, the hatch on her suit pulsating with light. Abigail waited by the elevator respectfully for her commander, followed him in and pulled her helmet on so she took up less space. Some girl, quite possibly the Ivari Abigail thought she spotted on the SC Sirius, giggled and made a joke - immediately getting a childish giggle in return, muffled by Abigail’s helmet.

She didn’t rush off ahead when everyone poured out of the elevator - she was the first to get in, the last to get out and consequently stuck behind the group. That’s where she noticed Kaylx clinging onto Anubis’ tail for balance, and she stopped walking for a bit, staring. Then she kept going. She leant by the doorframe as everyone filed into the room, helmet twisting this way and that to watch what everyone was doing. Once everyone had settled (or, in some cases, collapsed) in the lodge, Abigail pushed herself off the frame and started walking over to the fireplace when one of the new members stopped her.

Abigail watched and stared from under the reflective visor of her helmet. She froze like a deer in headlights, and let out a nervous little “Ahahahahahawhat?” as Harriet was speaking, along with an uncertain “Uhh…”. She backed up a little. The fake firelight dancing off her visor mostly obscured her face. She cocked her head to the side a little as Harriet turned to Abigail directly and remained frozen in place, just staring at the alien in front of her.

When Harriet reached out and grabbed Abigail’s hand, there was an audible ‘fwip’ as she wrenched her entire arm away from the woman and backed up into she bumped into Brooks. “DON’Ttouchme, I-...” she snapped, looking around nervously. “...I’ll deal with you later,” she eventually decided and then immediately called out “ANUBIS! You fuckin’ enabler, don’t give him that cocktail!”

Abigail rushed off, pretty much ignoring Harriet as she twisted to get past her without shoulder-barging her. Her helmet was yanked off with one hand and tossed haphazardly onto one of the couches as she leapt clean over the bar and disappeared behind it, the clinking of bottles and rattling of cans erupting from its depths. When she re-emerged it was with a pint glass of water and one of those little cocktail umbrellas poking out from behind her ear. She skipped and wove through the crowd of hunters milling about, squatted down next to the fireplace and leant over Kaylx with a big cheesy grin on her face.

“Fun night?” she asked. “As much as I want to see you vomit in front of Malkovich, my good conscience compels me to sober you up. Brooks?” She glanced over her shoulder and made frantic beckoning gestures. Brooks, however, waves a dismissive hand and turns his attention to Harriet.

Brooks turned to face the woman, folding his arms sternly, “You were never one for tact, eh?” he sighed. “Ain’t heard of you for years and you drop a bomb like this on us now?” he cracked a faint smirk. “We’re gonna need to sit ourselves down and hear the full story at some point.” The smile faded. He pulled a face and shrugged his shoulders, lowering his voice to a low mumble; “Oh and don’t mind Abigail...She just got spooked.”

Meanwhile, Abigail was still leaning over Kaylx, one hand steadying herself on the floor whilst the other held the glass over Kaylx’s face. “Desperate times call for desperate measures - you gonna sit up and drink this? Oooor…” she tilted the glass ever-so-slightly, giggling.

That could have gone better. Though it was not surprising at all considering. It was unfortunate that she'd yet to be able to retrieve any of her things. It could have made things easier. Crossing her arms, Harriet watched as Abigail took off. Deal with me later? What was that supposed to mean? Her attention was drawn back to Brooks. "Yeah, sorry about that. Kind of got caught up in the moment. Wasn't expecting to see you guys here. It's just been...a really long time." Her brief solemn expression brightened again as she eventually smiled. "And I know. I'll explain everything later."

She stepped away back out into the group of strangers. Seemed Abi had made some other friends in her absence. Whether she wanted to talk to Harriet right now or not didn't crush her spirit. We are talking about over three years of being away with no contact. Not that it was her fault. At this point, after having been stranded alone for two years, any amount of company was welcome. That in mind there seemed to be a couple individuals that weren't interacting with anyone. There was a Sergal that characteristically stood much taller than herself, presumably a human off on his own that was also taller, and one other whose species she couldn't make out from the armor. On the note of armor, Harriet was noticeably lacking some for this meeting. Her equipment was on the station but arrived separately.

Digressing she decided to introduce herself to the Sergal. It was somewhat surprising to see one of his kind joining the GAHL. They had a reputation for being very traditional and set in their ways. Hull running was the thing that earned them notoriety among the stars though. Not many air breathing races risked traversing the outside of a ship with little between themselves and the void. Even still they tended not to work with other races when they did things. "Hello there, you're a Sergal right? I've never heard of one joining the GAHL before. What brings you to the organization?"

Heh, It was odd to see a place done up like 'wood' out here in space, like some strange reminder of home where things were either built out of stone, wood, or hide originally... or, rather, the 'species' home, not Rose' home. His was kindof made of metal and grease, but it still evoked a feeling of 'home'... Even more so with the little bar that was present which instantly drew the big fluffy beast's attention, luring him over to it with a big toothy grin!

He was plenty happy to spend some time searching through the bar shameless, if it wasn't there to share while they were 'getting comfy' then why wouldn't he have mentioned not to mess with it? Hence, just after one of the girls dove over it to get something, he practically laid ontop of the bar as he picked through things behind it... upside down...

He came back up bearing a bottle of Courish whiskey, which had him grinning all the harder, it was a staple of mercenary life and frequently looted from pirates if their ship survived well enough.

He wasted not a moment plopping onto an assumed stool against the wall and laying back against it, using a claw to pop the top off the bottle and take one long audible swig, followed by setting the bottle down and letting his mouth gape a bit in a deeply relaxed sigh... a little piece of 'his' kind of home it was, it was an extremely familiar taste tearing it's way down his throat.

Of course, he snapped his mouth shut as he caught scent of someone coming closer to 'him' specifically than the rest and glanced down suddenly... Oh, it was the pretty plant lady... He'd admit he didn't know most of the names unless they'd been spoken since meeting them, possibly a nasty habit of mercenary work that was going to need changing with his new, hopefully, profession.

Either way he kept up a pleasant smile opening his mouth to reply only to suddenly close it, raise his claw to cover it and look off to the side, the thoroughly stiffled rumble of an internet belch could be heard for a moment before he exhaled and 'then' turned back "Ah, Excuse me." He'd seemed to catch on to general public courtesies well enough at least! He even raised the claw he 'didn't' just belch into when offering a hand shake. "Yes, I am. Name's Rose, and it's a pleasure. I don't believe I've ever seen a plant person before, you're rather exotic it seems."

He cocked his head then with a slightly crooked smirk "And aye, Most of us keep to ourselves or the military... Not too odd, I've heard we're pretty new out in space, hmhm. Course, I was born into mercenary work instead of military. My parents were both Hull runners, though I found I couldn't enjoy the monotony the same way they did... by that i meant always fighting the same thing, pirates or smugglers, it was always one of the two, always in-space... I wanted some more spice in my life, and when I heard about GAHL it sounded perfect... Arm up, travel to different worlds, hunts all kinds of different creatures, every job highly likely to be different from the rest. I couldn't pass up the chance to hunt 'different' prey instead of only what I already knew I could take down... there's not as much thrill there."

Raising her eyebrows she couldn't help but chuckle at the comment of her exotic features. She held her peace while Rose explained himself. Though he was out of his element it sounded like that wasn't too unusual for him. Taking a seat on the next stool Harriet shook her head slightly, the leaves on her head subtly rustling. "I look forward to working with you Rose. Glancing up she had a slight grin. "I can tell you from experience you never know what you're going to come across at the GAHL." She rotated on her chair a few times before stopping with her back to the counter.

Tugging at one of the leaves she brought attention to them. "Case and point, I used to be human. Now not only is my 'species' not categorized yet, but I'm the first of my kind. I don't even have solid details of what I am." She shrugged a bit. A lot of those details she wasn't sure whether to share or not. But it wasn't likely that anyone there would haul her off for study.

Reaching back she picked up and empty glass and rolled it around in her hand. Really she was debating whether to get something or not. Since becoming a plant food and drink really weren't all that tempting. Sometimes her body outright rejected things. Hard to get buzzed when your body filters out the alcohol and just expels it through your skin. "Meh." She put the glass down. "I'm still getting used to this body. I swear whatever changed me either made me really resilient or must have some strong instincts because I have no idea how I function." She leaned on one arm against the counter.

---

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There was much excitement and conversation from within the lobby as both new and old hunters began to interact with one another. Rickland was rather happy and satisfied with the crew he collected. From the bubbly Maya, to the hardened Brek, from the cyborgs of Zavid and Krylax, to the unique Harriet and Dremorio, multiple species from across the nearby galaxy are at ease with one another. No signs of any conflict from anyone yet, or any speciesist outlooks. The lobby was a great big melting pot of different individuals, all going on the same agenda.

Just then, the left door to the meeting room opens, revealing a Secruity Droid who walks out up to the lobby desk. It raises its hand as he gathers everyones' attention.

"The President of GAHL is now ready for you all to come." it replies in a friendly tone, "You may now enter the Meeting Room."

Rickland looks at the others, signaling them to come in as well. As they all entered the sliding doors, they will be greeted with a still lodge-like environment, but also looking very much like your usual meeting room. It was a rather fancy one at that, with metal-wood hybrid chairs and table. A warm light illuminates from above the table. Sitting at the farthest seat in the back was the CEO Mr. Malkovich, waiting patiently for them with his hands clasped together and politely on the table. Rickland takes the seat left of the President as he sits down comfortably.

As soon as everyone sat down, Malkovich clears his throat, announcing his presence, and begins speaking.

"Welcome everyone," he speaks in a smooth, yet slightly raspy voice,
"For everyone returning, I welcome you all back. For those who are new here, allow me to reintroduce myself more properly. My name is Richard M. Malkovich, I'm the head of the Galactic Adventure Hunting Lodge facility. I am most certainly delighted to see everyone here, both new and old. You are all here because you have demonstrated the capabilities in becoming a valued hunter. Everyone here has come from different backgrounds and different histories, some good... some not so good. You may have came here to seek adventure, maybe for redemption, for survival, or simply as a job that suites your forte. Regardless, you all have what it takes to be in this facility as both hunters and explorers, traveling across the vast cosmos to seek new worlds to explore and to hunt the bounties for a nice steady profit, as long as its regulated. Like I said, this is a hunting lodge, but a lodge that also respects nature in its entirely. We do not hunt in sport or attempt in wiping out an entire species, unless said species is an invading pest or a non-benefit for the respected environment. It may come out as ironic, yes, but that's the one major reason why this facility is legal in the first place, approved by the Galactic Environmental Organization (GEO). We do it simply to explore, for good profits, and in some cases for science."

"But enough preaching. You're here for the action, not the politics."

Malkovich then presses a button on his seat, revealing a green hologram of a planet.

"This is your first assignment." he continues, "We'll be taking it easy for this one, but the Federation Government provided us with the license to explore this planet. It goes by K2B-894, or more commonly as "Aurorias" a jungle planet found only one month ago in the Perseus Arm sector."

Several facts about the planet can be seen being typed in holographic lettering mentions facts such as:

• Entire landmass is composed of only one supercontinent called Tultamia
• Has two giant inland seas being Vhalori to the north and Kalivess to the south.
• Largest river system has a width of over two miles and is 400 miles long.

"While several military squads had scanned the entire planet from space," the president continues, "There's been yet for the ground excursion. We have been given the opportunity to explore this location here, not too far from the Sea of Vhalori. We are simply to explore this region and report back our findings to the government. We've been given also permission to CAPTURE various animals for scientific research, but we're also ordered not to kill them unless the situation demands it. So if a predator is going to kill you, well then yes you'll be forced to kill it."

"But yes, that's basically the mission. No hunting for a specific creature yet, but I have a feeling you may get one next mission. Communication equipment, additional weaponry, capture equipment, and dossier downloads are available in the next room to your left, as well as a rough GPS map of the surface of that sector. Are there any questions you want answered before you guys are dismissed?"