[center][h3][color=00ff00][b]Jack Mallory, X.O.[/b][/color][/h3][/center]

"Doctor," Jack said, eyeing Shirik with a sickly smile after hearing the most dangerous being they'd met so far speaking English. "Right now, we don't actually know [i]what[/i] we need, just what we want."

"Just as our host wants [i]our[/i] ship," he adds, waving at Silbermine, "[i]And[/i] our participation in this ranking contest. But neither of us knows what he [i]actually[/i] needs. Neither, I wager, does he."

"So our mission is to observe and to learn more about the people here, while limiting what they learn about us." The X.O. sighs, deflating. "Which unfortunate is not going to happen, because everyone here wants to show off for the locals."

Jack pauses to scratch the side of his head. "Really, our only hope is we spot something before they do. And that's where you come in, Doctor Ibarra. You see, they know we need those of their people who can generate electricity. That actually gives them a measure of control over us, since they control the sources of that ability. But if you can spot an alternate way that isn't so obvious to them, some of that control passes back to us."

"Now, let us see what [i]our friend[/i] Shirik has for us?"