[IC] The Endless Struggle

[Rennac Faintheart]

Rennac had gathered his supplies for the time being and prepared himself for the mission, putting a request to the master of Structure as to the model of civilian ship they would take. Of course, his recommendation was one that was more commonly found and was more easily modifiable, having toyed with one in his youth. He did opt to spend the remainder of his stay at a regular hotel as opposed to the palace, deciding he would prefer to have his gear close by rather than be unarmed and constantly in the vicinity of one who would have killed him without hesitation. Mostly he did diagnostics and maintanence but spent one night at a local bar, having his usual gear on and enjoying himself (after ensuring that the weapon controls were in fact inactive before he began to drink). He had just ordered his first ale as he sat down, swishing it in his mug as he slowly enjoyed the cold drink.

[FrozenPhoenix]

Litharian Galactic Date 5371-222 Virathus was having a pretty good morning all things considered. The beautiful blue sun of Havatk was coming up over the horizon and he had a splendid view from his house up on the Northern Mountain city of Thurus. Toast in hand he took a few steps out onto the balcony to breathe in the crisp air. Just about to enjoy another peaceful morning when his INTCOM began to ring, curious he went back inside taking another bite while answering the COM-call. A few moments in and his content smile vanished. Once the call was ended he finished his piece of toast in two bites and jogged upstairs to his room, getting decent and grabbing with jacket, SCYTHE, and OMEN. IT was time to go to work. Litharian Galactic Date 5371-223, Planet Havatk, Capitol City Shalruk, Reaper Caste Barracks. Virathus was just walking out of the briefing, not entirely sure what to make of it. A mission is a mission but this one was supposed to be accompanied by an ambassador of another space faring race, not exactly your average operation. Your assignment is your assignment though, best not question, complain, or debate it. He threw his pack and armaments on a bunk that he claimed prior to the briefing. It was a few days till the ship would be ready and it's not everyday you get to come to the capitol, mind as well make the most out of it. Taking SCYTHE and his civilian jacket we made his way out of the barracks and to the streets. No real direction, just a curiousity to find something to keep him busy.

[Rennac Faintheart]

As Virathus would pass by a normally quiet bar he could hear loud boisterous music coming from within forming a somewhat happy tune. He can faintly make out some of the words. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paVVJctjVmM "Tis half past three and the chill is gone, it's the longest binge I've ever been on. I've so many pints my mind's stupefied, but through all the haze I still hear them cry." Suddenly a boisterous chorus could be heard coming from every one of the bar patrons. "DRINK MOTHERFUCKER, DRINK MOTHERFUCKER DRINK!" If the Litharian ventured to open the door he would see an armored Wolkar leading the song, ale in hand and laughing all the while. More notably this was THE Wolkar that Virathus was supposed to be going on the mission with. While the Reaper could see he was certainly armed for the job, it was a sight so out of place that most of the patrons were a bit hesitant the first night to join him. Apparently, he was quite the friendly sort to get the drunks here so into the song and even were continuing now.

[FrozenPhoenix]

Virathus may have heard the music if he didn't have his own playing through his headphones connected to his wrist computer. What did catch his attention was how lit up the bar was. He couldn't help but peek in to see what all the commotion was about. He took off his headphones and peered inside seeing his would-be charge apparently leading this raunchous, drunken song. Unable to keep in his shock he muttered the words, "Hunter's Mercy." Under his breath. For a few moments he stood by the door watching this Wolkar man make an ass of himself. Though the folks around him didn't seem to mind and the bartender was making a killing, so he allowed it to continue unabated.

[Rennac Faintheart]

Rennac paid little mind to Viranthus as he joined the crowd watching the spectacle unfold, continuing unabated till the loud end as even several of the sober members of the crowd joined in the big finale. As the last verse finished the Wolkar downed his mug with a smooth and apparently practiced motion, cheering with the rest of the crowd. Regardless of how rocky things began thanks to Karasis in the meetings, he could certainly say he had the public support in favor of more interaction with the Wolkar. Well, at least those who enjoyed the bar. There was probably going to be one or two noise complaints but overall it did wonders for the Wolkar's public standing and reputation as an approachable fellow and good friend. He soon spoke to a few of the other patrons, laughing and joking with them and overall just being what all Wolkar are at heart: kinnd-hearted mutts who value friends and comraderie. He could even swear he saw a Karadon or two join in at one point. Soon he spotted Virathus again, his cheeks a bit flush from the booze. Smiling all the while he clasped his hand on the Litharian's shoulder, not aggressively or in any threatening way but one would to a friend when having fun. "Ah! It's a beautiful thing isn't it? Seeing so many people together, enjoying themselves, TRULY living in the moment. No worries, no cares, simply the joy of being with their fellow man. Then again, suppose it's something my people particularly enjoy being pack oriented." He then took a second look at Virathus and raised an eyebrow. "Ah, a new face! Happy to meet new friends. Name's Rennac Shadowclaw, Alpha of the shadowclaw clan, head of the Mercenary guild, and haver of a jolly good time! Last one is not so official, but still just as fitting I like to think."

[FrozenPhoenix]

This was one of those rare times that Virathus was truly lost for words. This... drunkard, was to be his charge. He was hardly able to stand and while armed has no discipline. When Rennac put his hand on Virathus' shoulder he glanced at it, keeping his straight face and silent eyes. Letting him finish, the smell of booze was strong on his breath and almost made him gag. Once he was done talking he calmly removed Rennac's hand from his shoulder. Thankfully the Council of Masters kept his identity a secret, not revealing his true name or face, so with any luck this character would but far too smashed to remember him and this whole event could be removed from his memory. "Well met then, Rennac Shadowclaw. Since you seem able to throw a good time let me buy us a round." He then began moving towards the bar signaling the tender to ready a pair. Taking a seat he cleared a second for Rennac.

[Rennac Faintheart]

Though he had plenty to drink, the Wolkar was not as drunk as Viranthus thought. He was a bit tipsy, sure, though most of his swaggering was to help put others at ease around the Wolkar. Soon, Rennac was worried this show was having the opposite effect on his latest acquaintance, smiling as he spoke up and offered the wolf a free round. "Thanks, I'll have to return the favor one of these days." He grabbed the beer after the bartender set them down, taking a calming sip of the amber liquid and sighed. "I must say, this beer is excellent. As much as I do enjoy the brews of my home world, these are most enjoyable. How have you been enjoying the night Mr..?" He left the question open ended, not openly asking the name and giving his compatriot the opportunity to decline. As drunk as he was he never let it get in the way of his manners.

[FrozenPhoenix]

Virathus studied Rennac, something changed about him from when he was singing. He was... something, just not like he was before. "It hasn't been wrong to me yet. What was that song? I haven't heard it on Havatk before. Is it from your world?" He said trying to change the topic from his name. This man was a strange one to be sure. Clearly not a native and not just because of the fur. His mannerisms were all wrong, he carried himself wrong, he was just... wrong. Not that it was a bad thing, he just stands out like a sore off-worlder.

[Rennac Faintheart]

Rennac smirked and nodded, understanding his drinking buddy's hesitance to reveal his name. Of course when he was singing he was throwing himself into the moment, trying to rile up the crowd and help them have fun. He was usually quite collected and thoughtful when it was more one on one. "Ah, right. It's an old folk song from my homeworld. It's actually a funny story about a group of Alphas who challenged the Sirius not by combat, but by a drinking contest. By the end, no one was sober enough to know who had actually won the title. They decided that they would meet again in one year and try again. Ever since then there is an annual event held to the public where the Alphas see who can drink the others under the table. Everyone gets into it. Even the Council members put their titles aside for the night and just drink with the people they serve. It's become one of our most celebrated and well known holidays. The runner up is the morning of sorrow where everyone wakes up with a hangover and tries to recover!" A content chuckle escaped Rennac's lips as he recalled the history behind the song, giving his aquaintance a bit of insight into his own culture.

[FrozenPhoenix]

When Rennac finished his story Virathus actually smiled for the first time since he saw the Wolkar. It's always interesting to see how other races celebrate, even if he would never partake in something so strange. Virathus still had many issues with this man, but he didn't seem like such a bad person. "Strange tradition. The Council of Masters would never partake in something so, debaucherous. Far too stuck up with all that power," He said, giving a light chuckle at his own observation.

[Rennac Faintheart]

Rennac smiled and nodded. "True I suppose. If anyone were to partake though I would say it would be the Master Hitharis. He always struck me as a more down to earth kind of person. Then again your government structure is different from Ferran. Where I live anyone willing to can become an Alpha given they can prove themselves. We don't really have nobles or castes, just people all working together for the good of the whole. Each Alpha has their own reasons for wanting to lead, whether it is to protect something they cherish or to right a wrong that they see in the laws or actions of their leaders. For us, we're all brothers and sisters, with the Alpha acting as a sort of father." He hoped his explanation would give the Litharian a better idea of his culture, considering how close each member of their species were to one another.

[FrozenPhoenix]

Virathus nodded his head, strange how similar and yet different races could be. It was sure a topic to ponder when he had more time. Unfortunately it was his time to retire, there were still more places he wanted to visit and he had to be ready for when teh COuncil of Masters called him to action. "I'd hate to leave you in the cold, but I must be off." Virathus said, moving his untouched beer over to Rennac. With that he took his abrupt leave of the bar. If the Wolkar was offended he was sure their mission would give him a chance to vent.

[Rennac Faintheart]

Rennac smiled and raised the mug, nodding to the Litharian. "No worries mate, we all have our lives to live. Just take care of yourself. Next time we'll have to properly drink!" He took a chug of his beer and waved the man off, eyeing the drink with a smirk. "Huh, guess he's expecting to be at work soon or cant afford to be hungover." For just being an empty mug it spoke volumes to the Wolkar, telling him quite a bit about the man. Soon enough he was back in the thick of it, drinking and singing till it grew late and he had to retire. Only stumbling a bit he returned to the hotel and got comfortable on the bed, just deactivating his armor's weaponry and sleeping off his drinks. The ship would be ready soon and he would want to get there early to check over the modifications made to it and add his own to fine tune the ship. If there was one thing the Wolkar never did, was pilot in a ship they had not personally performed maintenance on.

[FrozenPhoenix]

Virathus continued down the city's streets for a few more hours before returning to his bunk with a few items in hand. Nothing special, snacks mostly, but he did get a little trinket. A necklace with the Symbol of Hunters. It's a novelty item, but one from the capitol, so he'd most likely hang it up when he got home. At his bunk he stored his supplies and cozied in for a nap. Litharian Galactic Date 5371-226, Planet Havatk, Arkthurias Memorial Space Port. Preparations for the ship had finished and Virathus received a message summoning him to the Arkthurias Space Port and damned if he was going to be late. Collecting his weapons and armor, Virathus suited up and and caught a ride aboard a military transport ship to reach the space port without delay. As for the ship, Rennac's request was taken to heart and the Master of Struture made it her duty to requisition a FXS Light Freighter. Having it modified and outfitted with Litharian INTCOM systems as well as racks for their weapons and gadgets in the ship's bunk bay. All packed into an inconspicuous shell.

[Rennac Faintheart]

Rennac had received the call as well and was off like a shot, the thankful habit of being dressed in his armor 24/7 serving to expedite his departure. Right after paying for the room he used his jetpack to fly to the spaceport, arriving after a short flight and waiting at the hanger door for the representative to arrive. Thankfully, keeping the access codes from him was one trick Karasis wasn't able to do, having been given to him by an attendant. Smiling at his imagined victory over one he considered to be the most insufferable beings in the galaxy, he punched in the code and was happy to find the requested ship made ready. He took a quick look around to notice it was mostly stock save the promised communication system that was installed courtesy of the the Master of Structure. He made sure the engine wasn't rigged to blow when he started the ship, something he was grateful he wouldn't need to deal with once he made sure the engine was in acceptable condition. With all the physical threats dealt with he went to the computer and plugged an external datapad into the socket, doing a quick scan of the system for any malicious code or viruses as well as signs of tampering.

[FrozenPhoenix]

The computer wasn't a hard bit to scan or crack, it wasn't designed to resist on site intrusions. Among the files were several tracking worms, nothing malicious. They seemed to be standard practice for tracking the usage of governmental property, like automated log keepers. One piece however was out of place, a special splice was put into place that bypassed all the usual channels. Wherever to lead to it wouldn't be logged or tracked by the automated log keepers. Virathus was on his way up to the landing pad, carrying a pair of heavy bags loaded with his equipment and the equipment granted to him for use in this operation. In full armor he passed by the attendant who helped him use the codes on the ship. Stepping inside and heading the opposite way Rennac was to unload all the gear into the shelves and containers by the bunks.

[Rennac Faintheart]

The special splice threw the Wolkar off and made him feel uneasy, the oddity that this dataspike was making him nervous. First copied the spike carefully to a sealed partition on his datapad and hooked it to the holo communicator, contacting the Wolkar Information Service. "Alpha Rennac Shadowclaw, authorization code Alpha-charlie-Niner-eight." After a brief moment, the WIS insignia faded and was replaced with the image of an alien reclining in a chair. Oddly enough it seemed to be a bipedal reptile, one of the many who had come to Ferran and joined the Wolkar to get a new start and a new home. "Watcher 8, analyse this data spike and try to trace back it's origin. I need to know if this is specific to the Litharian government as well as whether it's data structure is outdated or not. If it is Litharian, it could potentially could have been planted by those who are assisting my target." Once he had sent a copy of the dataspike to the analyst he then rung for the Master of Structure and the Master of Eyes, waiting on a response. While this could possibly be just something to keep the ship's records clean, he would prefer to check and verify before altering or removing it now.

[FrozenPhoenix]

Scanning the hole in the ships protocal wouldn't yield much, it led to a void and connected with nothing. It was of Litharian design, but that was about all that could be discovered. It's code age was identical to the rest of the programs, so whatever it was it wasn't an old hole that was just missed when cleaning up the ship. It was there for a reason. Rennac's attempts to call the Master of Eyes would be met with a generic line of, "The frequency you are trying to reach doesn't exist." But the Master of Structure would answer, "Yes Rennac Shadowclaw of Clan Shadowclaw. It something amiss?"

[Rennac Faintheart]

Rennac rolled his eyes at the generic could not be reached line contacting the Master of Eyes yielded, happy he could get through to the Master of Structure. "Just a second. Securing my end of the transmission. And... there. We should be safe to speak. During my examination of the ship I discovered this data spike within the ship's computer banks. Though it is possible this is your way of keeping the travels of this vessel secret, I thought it prudent to verify. For all we know this spike was planted by one of Klith's allies. Sending the spike to you now." The Wolkar transmitted the data packet to the Litharian on the other end of the connection, hoping she would have some answers.

[FrozenPhoenix]

There was a pause as the Master of Structure received and looked over the data, but after a few moments she had her answer, "This is clear Litharian design, but I never ordered anyone to put something like this in place. Where did you say you found this again?"